The Golden Crystal
by Mamolove
Summary: An epic story of how the Golden Crystal emerges. Will Mamoru survive the trial of his life, or will he perish along with his planet?
1. Prologue

*The Golden Crystal*  
  
by Mamolove  
  
Email: david_duchovny@hotmail.com  
  
  
  
Author's Note:-  
  
Hi! In the mood for an angsty piece of Mamoru   
  
fanfiction? *grin* [Little sweatdrops appear   
  
profusely around Mamo-chan's head as he sees   
  
Mamolove's sly grin]  
  
This story is my version of how Mamoru   
  
discovers the Golden Crystal, the crystal which   
  
is the equivalent to Usagi's Silver Crystal. It   
  
is more towards the manga version Volumes 12-15,   
  
which happens to be my favourite saga, but I   
  
strongly feel that Naoko should have given more   
  
attention to Mamoru instead of Usagi. The guy   
  
deserves more! So, here, I humbly offer   
  
you my story... I sincerely hope you'll enjoy   
  
this!! Let's get on with the show! ^_^  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
*THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL*  
  
by Mamolove  
  
*Prologue*  
  
I can hear the breeze blowing through   
  
the trees in the forests.... So distant away,   
  
yet so close to my heart.   
  
I can feel the oceans caressing its   
  
depths-- dark and silent. The sensation... So   
  
vivid, as though they were caressing my own   
  
skin.   
  
The smell of earth... Coursing through   
  
my veins, more precious to me than a handful of   
  
gems... Nobody in school or in the orphanage   
  
could ever understand *why*.   
  
Is it a gift, or is it a curse, that I   
  
can sense any person's emotions and see their   
  
thoughts just by the touch of my hand? I feel   
  
their confusion, their pain, their anger....   
  
Their happiness...   
  
I look into the mirror, and I see   
  
myself, wearing a mask, a tuxedo, and a cape. I   
  
see a man, who, years before, roamed alone in   
  
the nights of Tokyo, searching for *something*   
  
he couldn't even identify.   
  
A man searching for his destiny.   
  
Usako....   
  
Princess Serenity....  
  
Sailor Moon....  
  
Suddenly, scenes flash in my mind   
  
without warning. Like a loop, never stopping,   
  
again and again. I suppose I've always   
  
associated these thoughts with Sailor Moon...   
  
"Dead Scream!" One.  
  
"World Shaking!" Two.   
  
"Aqua Deep Submerge!" Three.   
  
"Silence Wall Attack!" Four.   
  
"Venus LOVE ME chain!" Five.   
  
"FIRE SOUL!" Six.   
  
"Supreme Thunder!" Seven.   
  
"Shabon Spray!" Eight.   
  
Eight senshis to protect my love. Eight   
  
senshis with *powers*.   
  
Suddenly, it hits me. Why can't I be   
  
like them - full of raw, blinding energy at   
  
their command. Why can't I summon Earth's power   
  
like they do with their planets? Anger and   
  
frustration fills my mind, and I can feel the   
  
demon in me, always trying to resurface, the   
  
total chaos tempting me...   
  
Only Usako keeps me in check, and binds   
  
my sanity to her with her bright soul. She is   
  
the balance of my darkness, and I still wonder   
  
what I must have done-- for an angel like her to   
  
love someone like me.   
  
While Pluto can stop time, Uranus   
  
can split the skies in two, and even quiet   
  
Mercury can freeze lava, all I do is... throw   
  
roses? I can't even destroy youmas like the   
  
others, unless I use my bare hands. Now, what   
  
kind of hero is that? A useless male who tags   
  
along great female senshis?   
  
Are you watching me?   
  
Are you listening to me?   
  
I feel you close, but I can't see you.   
  
*WHY?!* For the whole of my life, which I can   
  
remember, I have been alone.. I have been   
  
struggling so hard, coming to grips as to who I   
  
am, and what my purpose in life is. I struggle   
  
alone, learn alone, suffer alone -- just to be   
  
the worthy lover of Usagi Tsukino... I want to   
  
protect her so badly, to make her happy, to make   
  
her proud of me.   
  
Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicite!   
  
Where are you when I need you? Am I supposed to   
  
do this alone? Is this how it should be? I've   
  
never actually said it, but I'm so afraid that I   
  
can't do this by myself. I can't learn anything   
  
without you, I can't discover my powers without   
  
you, I can't be the powerful prince you hail me   
  
to be. I try with all my heart to summon   
  
*anything* from Earth, but it always yields   
  
the same result...   
  
Nothing.   
  
My heart and spirit burns for power to   
  
protect her. Usako. My precious, precious Usako.   
  
I long to taste the power the senshis seem to   
  
yield so naturally. I want to be deserving of   
  
Usako's love... I want to *feel* powers the   
  
rightful lord of Earth should have. Does that   
  
make me a power-hungry maniac? Does that make me   
  
dangerous?   
  
Perhaps it does, for there are nights   
  
when I hear a voice calling for me....   
  
And it isn't Usako's.   
  
It haunts me during the darkest of   
  
nights... Especially when the senshis display   
  
their raw power in front of my hopeless figure.   
  
The only word the voice in my head says is my   
  
name, and that's enough. I battle it, I try to   
  
bury it, but none of my efforts can overcome it.   
  
All these years of loneliness, of having my   
  
memories taken away from me, of losing my   
  
parents, add up to the maelstrom of despair and   
  
hopelessness that ravage the core of my soul.   
  
Usako, give me only your love. But *I*   
  
will protect you with my life and spirit. I   
  
swear.   
  
I stare deeper into the eyes of the   
  
stranger in the mirror, and I hear *that* voice   
  
again.   
  
"The powerless Prince of Earth."  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
PLEASE, I *beg* you, [bows profusely], write to   
  
me [Mamolove yells to the Grand Canyon]! It's   
  
heart-wrenching to wonder whether anyone is   
  
reading this at all, *sniff* *sniff* [violin   
  
music please...]! Replies are guaranteed.   
  
Absolutely. Who wouldn't want to thank their   
  
boss after receiving their "paycheque"? *grin*  
  
This story is dedicated to Tiffany-- you're the   
  
strongest girl I've ever met, my prayers go out   
  
to you and I'll always look up to you. Also,   
  
Sidnei, for being so patient with me ever since I   
  
promised her that I'll write a Mamoru story TWO   
  
years ago! And to my dear Samantha! Stay your   
  
unique self!  
  
I would also want to salute Pandora Diane   
  
MacMillan, for having written such wonderful   
  
Mamoru fanfiction. Her stories will have you   
  
loving the man again, and again without   
  
compromising his qualities! And also, to   
  
Sexylyon, for writing, in my humble opinion, the   
  
best piece of Mamoru fanfiction, "Relativity".  
  
Date Mamolove started this story: 2 Dec 1998   
  
(Please knock my head for this. I was too   
  
insecure to even *dare* release this to any   
  
archive!! *sweatdrop*)  
  
Best wishes to all of you!, (& write to me!!)  
  
Mamolove ^___^  
  
david_duchovny@hotmail.com  
  
Come visit "Mamoru Fanfiction", an archive which   
  
specializes in MAMORU, and contains the best   
  
*MAMORU* stories in the net!  
  
http://devoted.to/mamorufanfiction  
  
Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko   
  
Takeuchi/Kodansha,   
  
TOEI Animation. English Language Adaptation (c)   
  
1995 DIC Entertainment. 


	2. The Beginning

*THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL*  
  
by Mamolove  
  
*Chapter 1*  
  
The atmosphere in the Tokyo University   
  
Stadium was electrifying. Throngs of spectators   
  
steadily streamed into the stadium, excited to   
  
witness the annual inter-university sports   
  
competition. Banners were hanging everywhere,   
  
bearing the names of athletes or their   
  
respective universities-- adding to the   
  
colourful surroundings and intense competition.   
  
Today was the finals of all the track events and   
  
it was not surprising to see the stadium nearly   
  
packed to the brim.   
  
Standing and craning his neck, Motoki   
  
Furuhata frantically scanned the crowd for   
  
Reika, who was supposed to bring Usagi and her   
  
friends to watch the games. Ah... Can't wait to   
  
see you, Reika-chan... Motoki snapped his head   
  
to his left as a redhead waved to him. Right on   
  
schedule, Reika!! Soon the redhead was joined   
  
by a group of bouncing, lively girls. Motoki   
  
first noted Makoto Kino, who was carrying a   
  
basket which he presumed contained delicious   
  
dumplings. Ami Mizuno was there too, and she   
  
looked very different and sweet in that cap and   
  
track bottoms of hers... Ouch! Sorry, Reika!   
  
Next he grinned at Rei Hino, the priestess,   
  
sunlight dancing on her raven black hair, which   
  
equalled the shade of Mamoru's hair... I wonder   
  
whether she still thinks about Mamoru... Minako   
  
Aino saw Motoki, and started walking towards   
  
Motoki, beckoning the rest to follow. "A born   
  
leader," Motoki quipped to himself.   
  
"Motoki-onnichan!!!!!!!!" Before he could   
  
greet her, Usagi Tsukino wailed his name,   
  
drawing some stares from some spectators. Motoki   
  
smiled fondly, fully understanding why Mamoru   
  
loved this bright, lovely lass. He needs her   
  
spirit and cheerfulness... Gosh, it IS   
  
uplifting! Soon, the girls were seated beside   
  
him, and Motoki grinned to himself, basking in   
  
the presence of his Reika.   
  
"Thanks for inviting us, Motoki-san!"   
  
Makoto grinned towards Motoki. "Sure, it's *my*   
  
pleasure," Motoki replied, only to have Reika   
  
poke him in his ribs. "Don't forget whose idea   
  
this was, and who lined up to buy the tickets!"   
  
Reika said, putting an exaggerated pout. And so   
  
Motoki, Reika and the girls happily chatted   
  
away till the commentator's voice filled the   
  
stadium.   
  
"Welcome, everybody, to the annual Inter-  
  
University Sports Competition!!" boomed the   
  
emcee's voice over the speakers in the stadium.   
  
"This event brings all THE BEST athletes   
  
from all the universities in Japan, and I assure   
  
you, competition is at its peak here! Today, you   
  
are going to witness the finals for the 100   
  
metres sprint, and of course, the most intense   
  
events: the 200 metres and 100 metres relay.   
  
Without further ado, let the games begin!!"   
  
The audience in the stadium roared in   
  
agreement, wanting the games to commence. Motoki   
  
grinned to himself. The girls, especially Usagi,   
  
were about to get a big surprise....   
  
As the 100 metres female category ended in   
  
a blaze, the audience grew more excited as their   
  
favourite event-- the 100 metres male category,   
  
began to commence. Supporters of various   
  
universities were shouting slogans and mottoes..   
  
  
  
"Heck, even supporters of Kyoto University   
  
are singing!!" Motoki noted.   
  
Then came the blaring voice of the   
  
commentator... Motoki and Reika glanced at the   
  
girls, who were reading the schedule's book   
  
while waiting for the event to take place. They   
  
really, really didn't know! Reika and Motoki   
  
thought, and grinned to each other. The runners   
  
took their places in their respective lanes, and   
  
everything was a blur until...   
  
"And last but not least, in lane 8... This   
  
gentleman from Tokyo University is currently   
  
pursuing a medical degree, holding the post of   
  
President in the Students Affairs Society, the   
  
Physics and Mathematics Society, and is a key   
  
member of the swimming team... He hails from   
  
Tokyo University," the audience gave a   
  
thundering roar, "... He is OUR athlete, MAMORU   
  
CHIBA!!"   
  
At the mention of Mamoru's name, literally   
  
the whole coalition of spectators in the stadium   
  
stood up and cheered and attempted a Mexican   
  
wave. Hysterical screams of female admirers   
  
added to the deafening noise vibrating through   
  
the stadium.   
  
Usagi, Rei, Ami, Minako and Makoto gasped,   
  
and instantly stood up craning their neck as the   
  
supporters in front of them rose in   
  
anticipation. "Mamoru-san????" "Are you sure?"   
  
"Can you see him??" "There he is!! There he is!!   
  
Lane 8, minna!!"   
  
"My MAMO-CHAN!!!!"   
  
There in Lane 8, in the blistering heat of   
  
the track, stood a tall, slender young man with   
  
hair as black as ebony, eyes of the most   
  
beautiful shade of blue, and a strong jawline   
  
which any man in the planet would envy. His   
  
chiselled features were matched by broad   
  
shoulders and a well-toned body, which streamed   
  
down into a slim waist and a pair of strong,   
  
long legs. His body was perfectly streamlined   
  
due to the hours of swimming and pushing his   
  
body to its limits. This man, whom everybody   
  
knew as *the* Mamoru Chiba, exuded an aura of   
  
calmness and wisdom which gained the respect of   
  
his peers and teachers. The piercing blue eyes   
  
always caught people's attention-- it was very   
  
rare to find blue-eyed Asians. The only readable   
  
expression on his face was determination. Deadly   
  
determination.   
  
"Motoki-onnichan! You didn't tell us Mamo-  
  
chan would be participating!!" Usagi said   
  
excitedly.   
  
"I wanted to give you girls a surprise!"   
  
Motoki said, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh,   
  
Mamoru himself doesn't know you're all here!"   
  
Reika chipped in, winking mischievously towards   
  
the group.   
  
"I had NO IDEA Mamoru was a runner," Rei   
  
said. "Yeah, I can't believe it! Guess we'd   
  
better call Haruka for a match, huh?" Minako   
  
thought loudly.   
  
"Mamoru's our best runner, you know that?"   
  
Motoki said quietly, smiling. "He used to   
  
participate in the long jump and relay events as   
  
well, but medicine really takes up a lot of his   
  
time, so he chose to run in only one event this   
  
year." Jade green eyes reflected pride and love,   
  
as Motoki reminisced the passed years of   
  
cheering for his best friend, who unfortunately,   
  
had no parents to support him. You can do it,   
  
Mamoru!   
  
Beside Reika, a blonde odango atama's mind   
  
went blank upon hearing Motoki. Mamoru never   
  
told her about this, and though she knew he was   
  
very popular among his peers, she had never   
  
imagined Mamoru as the *best* runner in   
  
Tokyo University. The best *runner*! She gazed   
  
lovingly at her unaware soul mate, and repeated   
  
the same thought as Motoki.. "You can do it,   
  
Mamo-chan!"   
  
************************************************  
  
Mamoru took in a deep breath as he raised   
  
his hand at the mention of his name. I can't   
  
believe this... Mamoru thought wryly, seeing   
  
literally the whole stadium rise up. The cheer   
  
was deafening, and Mamoru could hear the crowd   
  
slowly chanting his name. "Chiba... Chiba...   
  
Chiba...." It was quite unnerving, but Mamoru   
  
blocked all those distractions from his mind.   
  
Control over his mind was something Mamoru had   
  
no problem with, and soon his mind and body   
  
melded into one entity, so focused to the point   
  
that nothing else in the world existed but the   
  
sight of the finishing line. Vaguely Mamoru   
  
heard the official calling all the runners to   
  
their positions.   
  
On your marks.... Mamoru clenched his jaw,   
  
a trickle of sweat dropping to the ground.   
  
Get set..... His muscles tensed up   
  
automatically, straining his ears for the   
  
slightest sound of the gun shot, smelling again   
  
the sweet smell of Earth....   
  
BAAM!   
  
And Mamoru *ran*.   
  
*********************************************************  
  
BAAM!!!  
  
At the sound of the gunshot, all 8 runners   
  
bolted towards the finishing line. The stadium   
  
was filled with thundering cries and cheers.   
  
Spectators screamed for their runners...   
  
"FASTER, Hirake!!"  
  
"YES!! Furiya's ahead of Chiba!"   
  
"OH NO!! CHIBA, SPEED UP NOW!!!"   
  
Motoki was shocked to see TWO runners   
  
already ahead of Mamoru. Dear heavens! This   
  
never happened before! Unconsciously he started   
  
shouting Mamoru's name, and Reika, Usagi, Mina,   
  
Ami, Rei and Mako screamed in anxiety.   
  
As Mamoru reached the 40th metre, the sun   
  
beamed its brightest light, and Rei vaguely   
  
sensed ethereal power rising from the ground.   
  
Although Rei was the most sensitive senshi, she   
  
couldn't decipher the soft surge of force,   
  
although it had a very frustratingly familiar   
  
feeling... Strange... Rei thought.   
  
To everybody's amazement, the slender   
  
runner with ocean blue eyes started to catch up   
  
with Hirake and Furiya. Slender long legs fully   
  
stretched and covered the distance between the   
  
other two runners with merely 4 strides.   
  
Everybody, including Hirake and Furiya's   
  
supporters, marvelled at the skill and grace   
  
displayed by this runner called Mamoru Chiba. By   
  
his fifth stride, Mamoru was already side by   
  
side with Furiya, and the spectators roared at   
  
such speed. Furiya displayed a face which   
  
clearly etched out torture and strain, but   
  
Mamoru looked as though he wasn't even breaking   
  
a sweat. Then, as though a spark was fired in   
  
Mamoru's legs, he sped past Furiya and left him   
  
behind by nearly 1 metre. By the time Mamoru   
  
reached the 70th metre, the gap between him and   
  
Furiya had widen to almost 6 metres.   
  
"Unbelievable...." "Am I seeing things??"   
  
"... I heard about this guy, but I didn't know   
  
he was this good!!!" Usagi beamed with pride   
  
hearing those remarks. She continued shouting   
  
along with the rest, and it was obvious her   
  
friends were totally absorbed in the race,   
  
screaming their throats dry.   
  
As Mamoru touched the finishing line, the   
  
whole stadium erupted in a thunderous roar and   
  
applause, and again, hysterical female screams   
  
added to the deafening cacophony. The   
  
commentator's voice was full of excitement as   
  
well, "What a race! WHAT A RUNNER! Tokyo U's   
  
Mamoru Chiba clinched the gold medal!!! We are   
  
waiting for the time... Is it a record? ...   
  
YES!!! It's a new record!!!! The record set by   
  
Chiba-san himself last year has been broken!!!"   
  
Slowly stopping, Mamoru had his eyes   
  
closed, breathing in air, with his feet   
  
literally burning from the speed in which he ran   
  
with. He was filled with so much adrenaline, and   
  
he could hear his heart thumping loudly. Yes, he   
  
was very happy and satisfied-- almost giddy with   
  
the excitement. Lightly jogging, he ran his hand   
  
through his hair, which were matted with sweat.   
  
Mamoru smiled to the audience waving at him, and   
  
shook hands with those near the track. He then   
  
shook hands with his competitors, who were   
  
totally humbled by his speed, honoured that they   
  
ran with the man. Then, like a typical Japanese   
  
gentleman, Mamoru abruptly stopped walking, and   
  
bowed to the officials, coaches, and spectators.   
  
Usagi, Motoki, and the rest of their   
  
friends jumped in joy seeing Mamoru winning so   
  
splendidly. The girls, except Reika, had never   
  
seen Mamoru in sports before, and this was yet   
  
another surprise and revelation of Mamoru's life   
  
besides fighting evil with them. "Come on,   
  
minna! Let's call for Mamoru!" Usagi said.   
  
Everyone nodded excitedly, and took a deep   
  
breath....   
  
"MMMMMMAAAAAMMMMMMOOOOOOORRUUUUUU!!!!!!",   
  
and was nicely complemented by Motoki's tenor   
  
voice.   
  
Mamoru spunned around at the voice(s), and   
  
nearly dropped his jaw when he saw Motoki and   
  
Reika with Usagi and her friends. They all   
  
came.. *Usako* came... Mamoru never thought of   
  
telling Usagi and the girls about this. It was   
  
no big deal, really! He would have met with   
  
Usagi right after this, as though nothing had   
  
ever happened. This had to be Motoki and Reika's   
  
doing! Without realising it, his heart was   
  
filled with a warm sensation... Usako's here..  
  
Childish as it was, Mamoru couldn't help feeling   
  
elated to have impressed his love. Finally   
  
recollecting himself, he waved to his friends   
  
and mouthed the word, "Aishiteru," to Usagi. His   
  
heart thumped to a speed which could have   
  
rivalled his running, when Usagi sent him a   
  
flying kiss in return....   
  
Usagi wasn't sure, but she could swear   
  
that Mamoru was blushing.   
  
************************************************  
  
The prize presentation was right after the   
  
race, and Mamoru did not have the opportunity to   
  
meet Usagi and the rest of the gang. Motoki,   
  
however, brought everyone down to the track,   
  
where they could see Mamoru receive his medal.   
  
"Motoki-onnichan.. Thanks for bringing me   
  
here..." Usagi said softly, giggling innocently.   
  
"Hey, you guys saw his face when he saw us?"   
  
Motoki grinned. He knew Mamoru would be   
  
pleasantly surprised by this.   
  
"Minna! The winners are walking to the   
  
rostrum now!!" Ami said excitedly, "There's   
  
Mamoru, Usagi!!" This time they had a clear view   
  
of their friend. While the official continued to   
  
give the bronze and silver medals to Furiya and   
  
Hirake, Mamoru noticed the sky darkening. A gust   
  
of cold wind ensued, and Mamoru began to feel an   
  
uncomfortable tingling in his chest. He saw   
  
Usagi and the rest and flashed a smile, and then   
  
raised his hands to the rest of the spectators   
  
when his name was called out. Mamoru stepped   
  
onto the rostrum, strong and lean legs   
  
stretching the material of his track bottoms,   
  
and bowed to receive his medal amidst the   
  
thundering applause and cheers of the audience.   
  
Usagi and the senshis noticed it as well--   
  
they all had senses more acute than normal   
  
citizens. Usagi looked up, and saw a shadow   
  
slowly covering the sun. "An eclipse!" Ami noted   
  
instantly. They sensed the cold as well, but   
  
other people, including Motoki and Reika, merely   
  
noticed the eclipse occurring.   
  
As it got darker, Mamoru's discomfort   
  
grew. He could feel something faintly pulling   
  
the threads of his soul, his heart. "Strange..."   
  
he muttered. As the full eclipse occurred, that   
  
slight discomfort in Mamoru exploded into full-  
  
blown terror and pain.   
  
What ensued was one of the most terrible   
  
experiences Mamoru had ever had.   
  
All of a sudden, Mamoru felt sheer pain   
  
slamming into his heart, blocking out all   
  
thoughts, all perceptions. His powerful legs   
  
suddenly gave way, and Mamoru keeled over and   
  
dropped from the rostrum to the ground. His   
  
sight was blinded suddenly with the intense pain   
  
and his heart seemed to shrivel in the   
  
indescribable torture, making it impossible for   
  
him to even breathe for air. Was it his   
  
imagination, or did Mamoru *feel* Earth's pain   
  
as well? So sudden was the attack that Mamoru   
  
could only muster a faint moan of pain. What's   
  
going on?! Mamoru's mind screamed, barely able   
  
to block out the terror gripping him.   
  
Usagi saw Mamoru collapsing, and with a   
  
scream of concern, she pushed her way to Mamoru   
  
while everyone on the track and in the stadium,   
  
gazed hypnotically at the strange event. Her   
  
world became black and white and everything   
  
seemed to move in slow motion as she saw   
  
Mamoru's knees buckling. A certain portion of   
  
the crowd gasped as they saw the 100 metre   
  
champion collapse.   
  
"MAMORU!!!!" Instantly, Motoki rushed to   
  
his friend. As he got closer to Mamoru, he   
  
winced seeing Mamoru grimacing and gasping   
  
ineffectively for air. But as the dark sky   
  
cleared, the pain on Mamoru's face slowly eased   
  
off.   
  
  
  
Soon Mamoru was surrounded by Usako,   
  
Motoki, Reika, the senshis, concerned officials   
  
and health officials. "Mamo-chan... Are you   
  
alright?" Usagi asked, eyes brimming with tears   
  
of concern. As she stroked Mamoru's head on her   
  
lap, she could see Mamoru slowly opening his   
  
eyes. Her fear grew as she saw pools of black...   
  
"Dear Gods! His pupils are fully dilated!"   
  
Motoki voiced in shock and worry. His friend   
  
seemed confused and dazed...   
  
In truth, Mamoru was only semi-conscious.   
  
It was a peculiar sense of subconsciousness,   
  
with his senses of his physical surrounding   
  
mingling with flashes of Earth.... Something he   
  
had yet to understand but had accepted   
  
willingly. He vaguely saw a vision of a palace.   
  
A beautiful palace, bathed in lights and filled   
  
with a familiar scent... Absent-mindedly, he   
  
noticed the scent of the perfume he bought for   
  
Usagi.   
  
Rei sensed a very evil presence during the   
  
eclipse, and was wondering whether it was the   
  
cause of Mamoru's pain. She followed Motoki from   
  
behind as he rushed towards Mamoru. Mamoru!! He   
  
has to be alright! Concerned, she kneeled   
  
beside Usagi and Motoki. She looked intently at   
  
Mamoru, who was staring at nothing in peculiar,   
  
and noticed that his lips were moving, as though   
  
mouthing words which they could not hear.   
  
"Mamoru-kun! What are you saying?" Rei   
  
asked, straining to read his lips.   
  
Usagi, who stroked Mamoru's head on her   
  
lap, and Motoki, who held Mamoru's hand and   
  
shoulders, moved closer to hear the words Mamoru   
  
seemed to be whispering. Finally Motoki made out   
  
the word.   
  
"Elysion."   
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: Thank you for reading my story.   
  
Your guidance and constructive criticisms will   
  
be deeply appreciated! YOU will definitely be   
  
mentioned in my future works!   
  
The response I received about THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL's  
  
prologue was overwhelming [Mamolove cries   
  
Sakuragi-style]! I'm so immensely touched by   
  
all of your encouragement and enthusiasm.   
  
*big hug*!! Tiffany, I miss you! Samantha, you   
  
are a gem! Antigone, you're a joy to chat   
  
with! Rose Candy, I'll definitely go check out   
  
your story! Michibikare, thank you for   
  
leaving Mamoru all to me. Evee, I really   
  
like your phrase "Peace-out!" ^_^ Lily, good luck  
  
in your PMR exams! Sidnei, you're a wonderful friend!!  
  
Destiny Rose, *I* believe in you!! Thank you,   
  
Harry Ritz for your kind encouragement.  
  
Tsuki-chan, thanks for your sweet letter! Ditto to  
  
Christine! You made my day, girl! Meg, hope you're  
  
reading this, it's for your enjoyment too! Rosy,  
  
hope to hear from you again! Thanks for writing to   
  
me! And to Andrea, Caleyndar and Lady Spring,   
  
thank you for posting my story. ^_^  
  
Thank you to everyone who have expressed their   
  
views and opinions about the prologue of THE GOLDEN  
  
CRYSTAL!! *big hug* I will work harder!   
  
Arigatou, thank you [bows profusely],  
  
Mamolove  
  
david_duchovny@hotmail.com  
  
"Mamoru Fanfiction"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamorufanfiction  
  
Date written: 4 October 2000  
  
Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko   
  
Takeuchi/Kodansha,   
  
TOEI Animation. English Language Adaptation (c)   
  
1995 DIC Entertainment. 


	3. Mamoru's Secret

2 November 2000- Hi!! Make sure you are relaxed,  
  
and have no pressing matters at hand when you   
  
read this. I hope you won't rush through as you   
  
read this angst-filled story about Mamoru. Enjoy!  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
*THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL*  
  
by Mamolove  
  
*Chapter 2*  
  
Literally half-of-Japan away from Tokyo   
  
University Stadium, Setsuna Meioh analysed her   
  
latest task relating to astro-physics, and   
  
studied the digital simulation of the eclipse   
  
that was supposed to happen that day. She was at   
  
the comfort of the home which Haruka, Michiru,   
  
Hotaru and herself shared. Hotaru grew extremely   
  
rapidly ever since she was reborn, and now, the   
  
four of them were like a regular family.   
  
A regular family... That term rang   
  
distant bells in Setsuna's mind. They were not   
  
supposed to transform -- in fact, they   
  
discovered that they couldn't -- until the First   
  
Revelation of Crystal Tokyo occurred.   
  
"First Revelation... What is that, my   
  
Queen?" Setsuna wondered, recapping her   
  
conversation with the Queen. Instead of an   
  
answer, she received a knowing smile from the   
  
great Queen Serenity, mother of Princess   
  
Serenity, the destined ruler of Crystal Tokyo.   
  
"How long has it been anyway? One   
  
millennium? I still can hear her voice.."   
  
Setsuna fondly recalled.   
  
"Are you falling in love with the computer   
  
screen?" Haruka cheekily teased Setsuna.   
  
"I was just remembering the old times.."   
  
Setsuna dreamily replied. It must have been the   
  
tone of her voice that attracted the rest of the   
  
family. Michiru, tenderly stroking Hotaru's   
  
hair, said, "Usagi and her friends?" The   
  
beautiful, tanned genius sitting in front of the   
  
computer nodded. Hotaru smiled, "It's really too   
  
peaceful without them around!"   
  
"So, what do you guys want for lunch?"   
  
Michiru motherly said. "Hmm.. I would just lov-"   
  
Haruka stopped mid-sentence. Suddenly, everyone   
  
gasped simultaneously. Setsuna was gripped with   
  
sudden fear, as the dimension around them   
  
suddenly changed.   
  
All of them felt a terrible disturbance in   
  
their dimension, at the exact moment the full   
  
eclipse occurred. Everything went topsy-turvy, and   
  
Setsuna found herself going dizzy. After some   
  
tense moments which seemed like eternity, their   
  
dimension returned to normal.   
  
"No.. It can't be!" Haruka gasped.   
  
"Some.. *THING*.. broke into our world..."   
  
Michiru shakily said.   
  
"EXACTLY when the eclipse occurred."   
  
Setsuna coldly confirmed, feeling the   
  
terror settling into her heart.   
  
Her scientific mind started making   
  
calculations, recapping and analysing every   
  
detail which they had just experienced. Setsuna   
  
would never doubt her instincts.. She was   
  
Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time, and they   
  
were the destined Outer Senshis. Something had   
  
trespassed into Earth and they felt it.   
  
"Hotaru-chan?!"  
  
A chill suddenly ran down her spine, and   
  
Setsuna's eyes were pulled towards the child in   
  
the corner of the room.   
  
Hotaru-chan.  
  
The girl had her eyes closed, as though   
  
in deep concentration. To the sensitive,  
  
beautiful young girl, everything around her   
  
seemed muted, as the only sound she could hear   
  
was a voice. A very familiar voice.  
  
Sailor Saturn. The voice called out to   
  
her.  
  
Hotaru realised what it meant... It was  
  
time.  
  
Light slowly glowed from Hotaru, and the   
  
symbol of Saturn emerged on her forehead. The   
  
same thing happened to Setsuna, Haruka and   
  
Michiru. Feeling the connection to their   
  
birthplanets, all of them converged, revelling in   
  
the surge of their familiar powers.   
  
The great house they lived in was suddenly   
  
silent, as the powerful Outer Senshis awoke....   
  
************************************************  
  
As the real world slowly came back to his   
  
senses, Mamoru tried to immerse himself in his   
  
own fuzzy, silent world again. Finally, after   
  
useless attempts, he gave up, and slowly opened   
  
his eyes. He remained as still as a statue,   
  
staring towards his room's ceiling. Refusing to   
  
move and make a sound, Mamoru kept staring, as   
  
he started remembering what had transpired   
  
yesterday.   
  
I fell like a rock. Embarrassed myself in   
  
front of everybody. Right in front of Usako.   
  
Mamoru closed his eyelids as he pondered   
  
on what happened next.   
  
Heart attack?? Stress?? Bad food?? What   
  
on earth *hit* me?   
  
Thick eyebrows furrowed together as the   
  
still man on the bed thought deeply-- the   
  
attack transpired at the same time the eclipse   
  
occurred. Mamoru stiffened as he recalled the   
  
seizure. Such immense pain... Mamoru was not   
  
even sure whether it was his pain, or Earth's.   
  
The experience was hard to describe-- it was as   
  
though he had two separate bodies, his physical   
  
one, and his....  
  
"...Crap," Mamoru let out a resignated sigh.  
  
He hated being so out of control. For the   
  
whole of his life, Mamoru had always tried to   
  
have some sense of security, but things just   
  
keep spinning out of his fingertips. Mamoru was   
  
amazed with the way Usagi handled it. She seemed   
  
oblivious to evil, oblivious to the horror   
  
threatening her life-- it petrified Mamoru   
  
every time she risked her life as Sailor Moon. It   
  
sickened him that he had no power to help her...   
  
He could only protect, not fight. Not like the   
  
girls.  
  
He hated it. Hated feeling so helpless.   
  
What happened yesterday nearly smashed all   
  
the confidence and security he had recovered   
  
since the time of Galaxia. He had no foresight,   
  
not even a premonition, that his heart would   
  
suddenly constrict into a tiny pulp like that.   
  
It was so painful... Mamoru felt like a pathetic   
  
boy all over again...  
  
Eyelids sprang open, revealing a pair of   
  
tender blue eyes. Mamoru got up from his bed,   
  
and briskly changed into his running attire.   
  
Within moments he was running outside of his   
  
apartment, a jumble of questions filling up his   
  
mind.   
  
After running a good 3 miles, Mamoru   
  
returned to his apartment, got himself a hot   
  
shower, and hastily left for breakfast at   
  
Motoki's cafe. His stomach literally had a life   
  
of its own by the time he arrived, and Mamoru   
  
ignored Motoki's stare as he wolfed down a large   
  
bowl of ramen, 2 sets of sushi and a glass of   
  
milk.   
  
"Talk about treating yourself to   
  
breakfast," Motoki muttered, raising an   
  
eyebrow innocently when Mamoru glanced back at   
  
him. "How are you?" Motoki suddenly turned   
  
serious. Mamoru said nothing till he drank the   
  
last drop of milk.   
  
"I'm fine.... Thanks for your concern,   
  
Motoki." Mamoru said, each sentence   
  
separated by long pauses.   
  
"Mamoru," Motoki paused. Motoki was the   
  
only guy who could call Mamoru by his first   
  
name, and it was the same for Mamoru. Green eyes   
  
stared against blue in hesitation, searching for   
  
the courage to bring up the subject which they both   
  
had tried to forget...   
  
"It happened again... Didn't it?" Motoki   
  
quietly said.   
  
Mamoru blinked and quickly turned away,   
  
directing his gaze towards the traffic outside   
  
Crown Cafe. Deep in his heart, he knew what   
  
Motoki was talking about. He tried ignoring his   
  
friend's voice of reason-- the possibility that   
  
yesterday's seizure was a recurring nightmare   
  
which once transpired years ago.   
  
Many years ago.   
  
"Look, it can't be the same thing,   
  
Motoki," Mamoru said just as quietly. "And don't   
  
you tell Usako about it either," he continued,   
  
glaring at an innocent-looking Motoki. "Must   
  
have been the heat."   
  
"You said Elysion yesterday. You said it   
  
the last time, Mamoru," Motoki pressed harder.  
  
"I said it _is_not_the_same_thing!"   
  
Mamoru shot back in annoyance, his grip   
  
on the cup tightening till his knuckles were   
  
white.   
  
The youth with the blonde hair knew he had   
  
touched a hot button. But it was too familiar to   
  
be coincidental. He was damn worried for   
  
Mamoru-- if it was the same thing.... He was not   
  
going to chicken out or "butt out" in this one.  
  
Mamoru glared back.   
  
Despite their differing characters:  
  
Mamoru-- quietly forceful, serious, and   
  
conscientious; Motoki-- cheerful, playful, and   
  
gracefully flirtatious; both young men shared   
  
a strong friendship, built out of respect and   
  
mutual concern. He knew Motoki was worried.  
  
And he knew they both shared a memory, an   
  
experience, which Mamoru had tried hard to   
  
forget ever since it occurred. He knew what   
  
Motoki was afraid of, alright.  
  
"Motoki... Gomen ...," Mamoru's finally   
  
said. "It's just that I don't see any reason   
  
ANYONE should trouble themselves over   
  
yesterday's incident. Okay?"   
  
Motoki frowned, but eased off as he saw   
  
how sincere Mamoru was. "Hai, Mamoru... But be   
  
careful, okay?" Motoki eventually said.   
  
Mamoru smiled, paid the bill-- after insisting   
  
profusely, and left the cafe.   
  
Motoki looked on till his friend   
  
disappeared from his sight. Inwardly he   
  
grimaced as he recalled what happened to Mamoru   
  
the last time...   
  
Dear Gods, I do hope it *was* because of   
  
the heat yesterday...  
  
Motoki silently prayed as an image of a   
  
black-haired boy collapsing into a dead faint   
  
suddenly reappeared in his mind...   
  
***********************************************  
  
"You said it the last time..."  
  
Motoki's words echoed in the far reaches   
  
of Mamoru's mind. After leaving Crystal Crown   
  
Cafe, Mamoru had decided to go for a stroll in   
  
the park to clear his mind-- anything to make   
  
him forget what Motoki had said.   
  
"It happened again, didn't it?"  
  
Again, his best friend's voice broke his   
  
stupor.   
  
Finally Mamoru gave up the pretence. Hard   
  
blue eyes looked up into the sky, as if cursing   
  
the gods. Or could it be the opposite? Eyes   
  
reflecting the blue sky, they softened, as   
  
though in a helpless plea for release. Something   
  
flickered across them, and for a moment,   
  
Mamoru's eyes went blank. A soft breeze caressed   
  
his face, as though giving comfort to the   
  
reincarnated Prince of Earth.  
  
After the quiet spell, Mamoru shook his   
  
head in a daze, unaware of the minute event that   
  
had taken place.   
  
As the tall, raven-haired man approached   
  
the park, he smiled to himself as the scent   
  
of the trees and grass greeted his senses. It   
  
was like a drug to him, giving him an unexpected   
  
kick, or a gentle caress to ease his soul.   
  
Before this, Mamoru never gave much   
  
thought to his uncanny connection to this   
  
planet. When he was younger, he used to take   
  
them for granted, thinking that everyone else   
  
noticed them as much as he did. Old memories of   
  
his childhood in the orphanage flooded back to   
  
him, tainted with torn edges of sadness and   
  
loneliness that came from the deep maturity and   
  
cynicism neither his peers nor some of the   
  
adults around him possessed.   
  
But as Mamoru reached adulthood, he began   
  
to realise, in mild surprise, that nobody shared   
  
the sensations he felt. Not even the Senshis.   
  
Sure, they'd say how good the grass smell, but   
  
they can't feel the tingle down their spine, or   
  
feel the soft, relaxing feeling of sinking into   
  
the earth, like Mamoru always did.   
  
Usagi was different. His delicate flower,   
  
his beautiful love-- she was inexorably linked   
  
to him, and subsequently, to Earth as   
  
well. Although Usagi was not as strongly   
  
connected as he was, Mamoru was grateful someone   
  
understood the gift and occasional curse he had   
  
but never understood himself. Mamoru smiled fondly as he   
  
thought of the only girl who called him her   
  
"Mamo-chan". The only girl who could break   
  
through the barriers of the remote and revered   
  
sempai, Mamoru Chiba.  
  
Upon reaching the nearby park, Mamoru   
  
stood at a shaded spot, his eyes giving the lake   
  
before him a quick sweep. The brooding youth   
  
thought again of his old friend's words. Ever   
  
since Motoki broached that subject, it troubled   
  
Mamoru deeply-- especially because it reminded   
  
him of "that incident".   
  
That incident.  
  
Mamoru pursed his lips as he recalled the   
  
conversation he had with Motoki that morning...   
  
"You said Elysion yesterday. You said it   
  
the last time, Mamoru...."  
  
"Elysion..." Mamoru threw pebbles as far   
  
as he could into the lake as his photographic   
  
memory brought him back to an incident which a   
  
certain angelic princess of his has yet to know   
  
of.  
  
And which still frightens him to death.  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes:   
  
What does Motoki know about Mamoru that Usagi   
  
doesn't? What caused Mamoru's eyes to go blank   
  
for that moment? What frightened Mamoru so   
  
terribly? Hope you enjoy the suspense!   
  
*grin* Hey, I'm LABOURING over almost every   
  
single word, just because I'm afraid that  
  
by rushing through I'll compromise THE GOLDEN   
  
CRYSTAL's quality. Thank you, everyone, for   
  
being so patient. *BIG HUG*  
  
I'm currently studying for my final, public   
  
examination (it's a nation-wide exam held  
  
in my country, Malaysia!) and it's   
  
very important to me! Wish me luck in it! I'm   
  
aiming for all distinctions in all 11 subjects,  
  
so hopefully, I'll be able to pursue medicine   
  
and be a doctor like Mamo-chan *grin*!  
  
Your views, opinions, comments and   
  
constructive criticism are much, much, MUCH   
  
welcomed! Please write to me...  
  
THANK YOU so much to those who have taken   
  
their time to write to me previously! Tiffany,   
  
the extent of you being loved is   
  
uncomprehendable. *smile* Sam, good luck in your   
  
sophomore year!! Thank you, Antigone, a friend  
  
whom I deeply admire, for feeding me with   
  
Japanese words like a bowl of cereal *laughs*.   
  
Guys, read Antigone's fics! They are fantastic.   
  
Long live Sidnei-sifu! People, Sidnei's a   
  
fantastic writer too! Ms Lilac Summers, I was   
  
totally floored (flabbergasted actually) when I  
  
received your mail. I could not believe that   
  
*you* actually took the time to tell me you   
  
liked my humble prologue and first chapter!   
  
Thank you very much, Lilac, as it means a lot to   
  
me. (like getting David Duchovny's autograph.   
  
Get the picture?! *LOL*!) ^___^  
  
Selene, Iris, HippieChild, Aurora, Rosy,   
  
and Melissa, thank you so much for your support!   
  
Evee, thanks for making me feel better   
  
with your email *hug*! Sailor US, thanks for  
  
your wonderful mails! And Destiny Rose, I AM   
  
WAITING FOR YOUR STORY!! *hug* You can do it,   
  
girl!  
  
Lastly, to all my readers, I've taken a lot of   
  
pains to achieve the best quality, so I really   
  
hope you enjoyed reading THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL so   
  
far. And now, I hope you'd be kind enough to   
  
understand that Chapter 3 might only come out   
  
in December, after my government examination.   
  
This exam is extremely important to me, and I'm   
  
hoping to garner a scholarship award, hopefully  
  
to study medicine in Cambridge (Sorry, Mamo-  
  
chan, I'd love to go to Harvard like you, but   
  
Harvard doesn't offer scholarships, and a poor   
  
girl like me can't afford it without financial   
  
support! *grin*).   
  
To get more of Mamoru, why don't you check out   
  
"MAMORU FANFICTION" at   
  
http://devoted.to/mamorufanfiction  
  
which happens to be an archive specialising   
  
in Mamoru stories, and which only posts the best   
  
stories of him? Or, if you want to know more   
  
about the guy, go to the shrine I made, "My   
  
Love: MAMORU CHIBA"! ENJOY!  
  
Last but not least: WRITE TO ME! ^_^!   
  
Don't be shy... Don't think that your email   
  
won't make a difference, okay? I'd love to hear   
  
your opinions and thoughts.  
  
Best wishes,  
  
Mamolove  
  
"Mamoru Fanfiction"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamorufanfiction  
  
"My Love: MAMORU CHIBA"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamoruchiba  
  
Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko   
  
Takeuchi/Kodansha,   
  
TOEI Animation. English Language Adaptation (c)   
  
1995 DIC Entertainment. 


	4. Earthquake

Relax. Prepare your mind. Take your time.  
  
And imagine....  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
*THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL*  
  
by Mamolove  
  
*Chapter 3*  
  
In the peaceful surroundings of the Hikawa   
  
Shrine, four young girls and two cats were   
  
pondering on the strange eclipse which occurred   
  
the day before. Sitting in the centre of the   
  
fire chamber was Rei Hino, priestess and Senshi   
  
of Fire. Surrounding Rei were Makoto, Minako and   
  
Ami. Luna and Artemis were lounging on the   
  
comfortable and warm wooden floor. A girl with   
  
golden hair was standing, her smooth, delicate   
  
hands flapping around anxiously.  
  
"It's not everyday that Mamo-chan mutters   
  
something unconsciously," Usagi Tsukino said   
  
worriedly. Then again, Mamo-chan has mumbled   
  
some cute things when he was sleeping... Usagi   
  
thought absent-mindedly as her mind suddenly   
  
flitted to the cute moments of watching Mamoru   
  
asleep. Oh, the words he would mumble!   
  
Usagi suddenly leered.  
  
"I wouldn't have called all of you to come   
  
if it wasn't urgent. I was meditating this   
  
morning when Phobos and Deimos pinned down this   
  
card," Rei said as she showed her friends a card   
  
bearing the title, "Eclipse". Three other   
  
Senshis nodded seriously. Three. Rei's eyes   
  
narrowed into slits.   
  
"Usagi, did you hear what I said?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It's referring to yesterday's eclipse??"   
  
Ami asked loudly after successfully foiling the   
  
temperamental priestess' mission of pounding her   
  
blonde friend to bits.   
  
Rei suddenly turned serious again after   
  
dislodging Usagi's powerful palms and feet off   
  
her face. She nodded solemnly, "*ahem*... I'm   
  
afraid so. There was evil when it occurred, when   
  
Mamoru-san collasped," Rei frowned as she recalled   
  
yesterday's scare.   
  
Hazel brown eyes quivered as she thought   
  
of the tall man who had hair as black as hers.   
  
Somehow Mamoru fared the worst among all of   
  
them. While they merely felt dizzy from the   
  
aberration cause by the eclipse, Mamoru had a   
  
kind of seizure-- full-blown compared to their   
  
slight discomfort. It was not wise to   
  
ignore these two strong omens. If they could   
  
detect the source early, they'd stand a better   
  
chance avoiding unnecessary trouble and chaos.  
  
"Minna, help me..." Rei urged finally.   
  
She was mildly surprised when she felt a   
  
soft hand touch her shoulder. "We'll be with you,   
  
Rei-chan," Usagi said, immediately plopping down   
  
behind Rei as the rest followed suit. Rei couldn't   
  
help but smile at the moon princess. They may   
  
squabble like mad, but her friendship with an   
  
individual had never been as strong as with this   
  
one.  
  
The Senshi of Fire started muttering a   
  
mantra, immersing herself deeper and deeper into   
  
the spirit world. Before her friends knew it,   
  
she was already in a deep trance, determination   
  
and years of practice helping her.   
  
Usagi closed her eyes as she channelled her   
  
concentration towards Rei. She felt the heat of   
  
the great flames and a surge of power as Rei   
  
began to open the doors of the spirit world.   
  
Usagi knew that only another person had an   
  
ability much like Rei's-- Mamoru...  
  
  
  
After a few minutes, Makoto opened her   
  
eyes in shock as she felt a slight tremor in the   
  
ground. Her startled gaze met Minako's eyes, but   
  
they both closed their eyes again to   
  
concentrate. Seconds later, everyone except Rei,   
  
opened their eyes in fear as a bigger tremor   
  
reverberated through the floor.   
  
"God, please don't let it be..." Luna  
  
whispered.   
  
Usagi's eyes darted left and right, noting   
  
that Rei was oblivious to the tremor. Suddenly   
  
she cried in terror as the ground beneath shook   
  
uncontrollably. Her friends followed suit as   
  
they realised what was happening.  
  
An earthquake.   
  
************************************************  
  
Mamoru was still throwing stones into the   
  
lake when he first noticed the water shaking.   
  
His eyes narrowed into slits as he saw the   
  
ripples growing bigger and bigger. Warning bells   
  
started ringing distantly in his mind, and he   
  
gasped in shock as the ground beneath him shook.   
  
The magnitude of the tremor suddenly   
  
erupted into full fledged terror as screams of   
  
terrified citizens started filling the air.   
  
"Shimata! Earthquake!!" Mamoru realised in   
  
shock. Nearby Mamoru saw a building shaking and   
  
on the verge of collapsing. The tremor continued   
  
mercilessly, ignoring the cries of horrified   
  
office workers, and pedestrians.   
  
Instinctively he dropped down to the   
  
ground.   
  
But then, it happened again.   
  
Mamoru gasped as his chest suddenly   
  
tightened. He tried to control his breathing   
  
and pain, and bit his lips to suppress himself   
  
from crying out as a new wave of spasm attacked   
  
his heart.  
  
Unbeknownst to the blue-eyed man, they   
  
were in rhythm with the earthquake's tremors.   
  
While Mamoru gritted his teeth hoping the   
  
seizure would pass, something new happened. He   
  
began to see bright flashes of a white unicorn.   
  
A beautiful one, lying inside a cage.   
  
Mamoru froze over as recognition hit him.   
  
But before he could think any further, a   
  
whimper escaped his lips as a sharp pain stabbed   
  
his heart.   
  
After what seemed an eternity, the seizure   
  
began to ebb away. Nearly passing out from the   
  
seizure, the black-haired youth sprawled on the   
  
grass gasped weakly as he let the breeze blow   
  
through his hair. It was only moments later that   
  
he realised something.   
  
The wind was whispering something into   
  
his ears. With heart beating with trepidation,   
  
Mamoru listened to the strange call. It was   
  
something he had never thought of, not even in his  
  
wildest dreams....  
  
"Find the Golden Crystal, Endymion-sama."   
  
************************************************  
  
"Earthquake!" The girls around Rei   
  
screamed. Rei suddenly received a vision at that   
  
very moment, and opened her eyes hastily. It was   
  
not because of fear, but because of shock and   
  
urgency.   
  
"We have to go!" Rei shouted to her friends   
  
who were instinctively reaching for a nearby table   
  
for shelter.  
  
"How about your grandfather and   
  
Yuuchirou?!" Ami asked anxiously. She hated   
  
earthquakes. They'd never experienced one for   
  
the past 8 years, since the Kobe earthquake!   
  
"They're not here! They'd be okay. There's   
  
no time to lose!" Rei was already running towards   
  
the exit of the fire chamber.  
  
"What's going on Rei?" Makoto urged the   
  
moment they ran out into open space. The ground   
  
beneath them shook violently but Rei was already  
  
beginning to transform into Sailor Mars.  
  
"Demon attack!"  
  
The girls did not need any further   
  
explanation. Usagi and the rest of them   
  
transformed gracefully amidst the ruthless chaos   
  
enveloping the shrine grounds and the rest of   
  
Tokyo.  
  
************************************************  
  
The air whipped through Sailor Moon's hair   
  
as the Senshis raced towards the spot where   
  
Sailor Mars said the demon had appeared.   
  
Fleeting footsteps and paws travelled through the   
  
dishevelled grounds of the Juuban district,   
  
bolting past citizens in terror with hearts as   
  
heavy as lead. All but the cats had difficulty   
  
balancing themselves while running over the   
  
rubble. As much as they wanted to help, the   
  
citizens of Tokyo were currently better off with   
  
the special task forces. They, on the other   
  
hand, had to reach the demon. *That* had to be   
  
dealt by the senshis.   
  
Running through the earthquake, Usagi   
  
forced herself to clamp down her instinct of   
  
dropping to the ground like what they had been   
  
practising every year for as long as she could   
  
remember. The frightening sounds of buildings   
  
first cracking, then collapsing with deafening   
  
crashes, accompanied with the sight of formerly   
  
mighty highways now broken like splintered wood   
  
jammed into Usagi's senses. Moreover, the screams   
  
and tears of terrified people were hard to ignore.  
  
Don't slow down. I'm Sailor Moon now   
  
Usagi pressed down on her terrified mind.  
  
But a drill was totally different than the   
  
real thing, wasn't it?  
  
Finally Sailor Mars slowed down. Sailor   
  
Moon looked ahead and saw the source of the   
  
priestess' distress.  
  
There, a few metres away from them and   
  
just a block or two from Usagi and Mamoru's   
  
favourite lake garden, crawled a hideous-looking   
  
monster around the size of two landrovers side   
  
by side and two times her height. Nearby she   
  
heard Sailor Jupiter gasp as she too laid her   
  
eyes on the monstrosity. This was totally, so   
  
horribly different from the youmas that they had   
  
encountered before.  
  
"What... *is* that?" Sailor Moon gasped.  
  
"Seems to look like a... spider," Sailor   
  
Mercury quickly started punching her computer.   
  
"From the readings I'm getting, it's projecting   
  
a certain kind of wave-- Somewhat similar to a   
  
sonar wave."  
  
But what's the wave for?? The   
  
blue-haired girl thought. Her sharp eyes caught   
  
something else, "Look! It must have crawled out   
  
from that crack in the ground!" Sailor Mercury   
  
pointed to a massive chasm in the middle of the   
  
road.   
  
"Start moving before it starts tearing   
  
people apart!!" Sailor Venus shouted as the   
  
demon suddenly stretched its spiny and hairy   
  
legs towards petrified citizens. In an instant   
  
the demon caught hold of an man, and to their   
  
horror, poised to tear the man's chest apart.  
  
"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!!" Sailor Venus   
  
hurled her glowing weapon to wrench the spider's   
  
legs away from the powerless man just in the   
  
nick of time. Too stunned to move, the man just   
  
lied there, catatonic, with tears leaking out   
  
without his knowledge. Luna and Artemis pounced   
  
towards the man to coax him to move to safety.  
  
"Everyone stay away!" Some policemen urged   
  
the crowd to distance themselves to allow more   
  
battle space for the senshis.   
  
The battle had begun-- in broad daylight,   
  
in front of scores of shocked citizens.  
  
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!!" Sailor Mars shot her   
  
flaming arrow towards the demon. It shrieked in   
  
pain as the arrow quickly burned into its flesh.   
  
Large hairy body turned to face the senshis, and   
  
started charging towards them. To the girls   
  
horror, countless of tendrils appeared from the   
  
demon's mouth to counterattack the senshis. A   
  
tendril shot around Sailor Mar's neck, and threw   
  
her into the shop-lot nearby.  
  
"SHIMATA!" Sailor Jupiter yelled as she   
  
dodged one tendril which embedded itself into   
  
tar road due to its sheer force. "YOU'RE   
  
DEADMEAT!! LIGHTNING SUPREME..... ATTACK!!!" The   
  
tall fighter viciously blasted the tendril into   
  
smithereens. The demon pulled back but almost as   
  
instantly sprang a few more tendrils to catch   
  
Sailor Jupiter by the leg.  
  
"JUPITER! SHABON SPRAY!" Fog appeared and   
  
Mercury began to run towards releasing Jupiter   
  
from the frozen tendrils. But before she could   
  
do anything else, two other tendrils grabbed her   
  
by the waist and brought her to the air.  
  
"Mercury! Jupiter!!" Sailor Moon cried in   
  
distress. With trembling hands she raised the   
  
moonstick, but before she could summon out the   
  
crystal's power, the monster caught the unaware   
  
senshi by the foot and the moonstick fell out of her grip.  
  
Sailor Venus shrieked in horror as she saw   
  
the strong, merciless tendrils pulling the   
  
princess towards her death.  
  
************************************************  
  
Disorientated, Mamoru slowly pushed the   
  
ground with his elbows in an effort to get back   
  
to his feet. With trembling hands he pushed his   
  
bangs out of his face. It was then that he   
  
realised his tear-streaked face, and a chest   
  
which was heaving in attempts to stop gasping.  
  
"What's-- happening-- to me?" The confused   
  
and pained man whispered weakly to himself in a  
  
shuddering breath. Suddenly he began shivering   
  
as chilling cold overcame his frail frame.   
  
Mamoru shakily moved to lean on a nearby tree   
  
and wrapped-- no, hugged his body with his   
  
arms in an effort to warm himself. He nearly   
  
doubled over in the process as the coldness   
  
overwhelmed his senses.   
  
Even the act of rubbing his arms could not   
  
make the chill subside. Mamoru bit his lips   
  
again as he tried to heal the coldness he was   
  
feeling through his touch, but the glow in his   
  
hands was so weak, it hardly made any   
  
difference.  
  
Something else did. Mamoru felt a familiar   
  
calling, a tightening pull of a thread   
  
surrounding his heart, and it meant only one   
  
thing-- Usagi was in danger.  
  
Without thinking of the cold Mamoru   
  
blindly followed his instincts and teleported to   
  
Usagi.  
  
************************************************  
  
"NNNOOO!!!!!" Sailor Venus screamed, and   
  
instantly slammed her chains into the spider's   
  
body. She violently pulled onto her weapon, and   
  
yanked out a chunk of meat from the monster. It   
  
gave a blood-curling moan, and immediately let   
  
go of Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor   
  
Mercury. Due to the immense pain all tendrils   
  
were retracted, and the demon howled in rage.  
  
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!!!!" The Senshi of Fire   
  
called out from inside the wreck that was once   
  
the shop-lot. But the demon dodged the flaming   
  
arrow.   
  
And it caught sight of.... the one.  
  
Sailor Mars' eyes dilated in horror as she   
  
realised that the demon was looking towards   
  
Sailor Moon's direction. Time seemed to stop as   
  
the demon lunged towards the prone blonde....  
  
As it stretched out sharp, hungry fangs...  
  
As a flash of black scooped Sailor   
  
Moon in his arms....  
  
Carrying her to out of harm's way...  
  
Just in the slightest of seconds before   
  
the demon found its teeth lodged in the   
  
pavement.   
  
Time came back to normal to the priestess   
  
before she realised who saved Sailor Moon. She   
  
should never have doubted.  
  
************************************************  
  
"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon could barely   
  
breathe due to the closeness of death she barely   
  
escaped. She clutched the velvet black cape   
  
which had always provided protection to her and   
  
brought her forehead to rest on the familiar   
  
chest, her own heaving with relief. It was not   
  
long when she noticed the shaking of his body   
  
and the trembling gasps he was taking.  
  
"Mamo-chan..." Sailor Moon asked in panic.   
  
She gasped in consternation as the formerly   
  
steady hands gave way, as Tuxedo Mask dropped to   
  
his knee.  
  
"Cold...." he whispered, not   
  
bringing his eyes to her, not even allowing her   
  
to see through the white mask.   
  
He suddenly turned and roughly pushed   
  
Sailor Moon away, moments before the demon   
  
rammed into him.  
  
"NNNOOOOO!!!!!!" Sailor Moon screamed as   
  
she realised what he had just done. She knew,   
  
from the position of the demon's legs, what it   
  
was planning to do. They had all seen it   
  
earlier, when it attacked one of the man in the   
  
crowd.  
  
Tuxedo Mask was seeing double due to the   
  
impact, and just as his vision returned, he saw   
  
one sharp and spiny claw rising up above him,   
  
ready to strike. His muscles instinctively   
  
reacted, and he rolled away just in time before   
  
the demon could impale his chest. He quickly got   
  
up to his feet, but due to the icy cold he was   
  
currently feeling, his alertness dipped,   
  
allowing the demon to throw him off balance   
  
again with a spiny leg. It was then that he   
  
heard the sound of a swinging rod...  
  
"Dead Scream." The Senshi of Time blasted   
  
the demon a few feet back.  
  
"SUBMARINE REFLECTION!!" Sailor Neptune   
  
burned the sight of the beast, blinding it.  
  
"SILENCE WALL ATTACK!!" The reborn Sailor   
  
Saturn rendered the demon helpless.  
  
"SPACESWORD BLASTER!!!!!" The slim figure   
  
of Sailor Uranus thrusted the blade into the   
  
demon without a hint of hesitance or mercy.   
  
"Sailor Moon! Now's your chance!!"  
  
Without hesitation Sailor Moon grabbed   
  
hold of her moonstick, and gave the final   
  
attack.  
  
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!!!!!"  
  
Ripples of pure light blasted through   
  
the demon, shredding its very being into   
  
non-matter. The demon gave one last shriek, as   
  
it tried to escape the unforgiving light that   
  
was the Silver Crystal's power. Finally the   
  
light subsided, and all that was left was the   
  
wreckage the demon and the earthquake prior to   
  
its appearance, had created. By this time   
  
Jupiter and Mercury were on their feet, and in   
  
silent acquiescence, every senshi-- Inner and   
  
Outer, nodded. Keep the reunion they all   
  
desperately wanted away from curious eyes of the   
  
public.  
  
Sailor Moon went near Tuxedo Mask, and  
  
her eyes narrowed as she saw that his state had   
  
not improved.  
  
"Mamo-chan, what's wrong?" Sailor Moon   
  
gently whispered to him as the senshis began to   
  
gather around them. She knew about how much he   
  
hated to be coddled, in front of the public, and   
  
especially in front of the senshis, so she   
  
gently put her hand on top of his, and suggested   
  
that they all teleported away. Her anxiety grew   
  
as the only reply she got was a hasty nod.  
  
"SAILOR TELEPORT!!!" In front of astounded   
  
onlookers, the fantastic fighters disappeared in   
  
a spectrum of light.  
  
************************************************  
  
Mamoru regretted teleporting. The very act   
  
of shifting his matter in that process took away   
  
the remnants of heat he had left in him. As they   
  
arrived in the privacy of Rei's temple, he   
  
staggered unsteadily, and shook his head quietly  
  
when he felt Usagi's hands on him.   
  
I'm alright He thought at her, answering   
  
her unspoken question. At the same time he tried   
  
to ignore the cold that was encasing his body,  
  
which was making him feel as cold as.... death.   
  
At the thought of death, Mamoru suddenly   
  
gave out a choked cry when he was assaulted by   
  
the same seizure he had experienced in the stadium   
  
and in the park. How it could be worse, was   
  
unimaginable. But it was. Now, not only was   
  
he rendered hopeless with pain, images, flashes   
  
and random thoughts, he was also gripped with   
  
chilling, bone-shattering, ice-forming cold.   
  
And he could not do anything about it. He   
  
was lost. Totally lost in cold and pain.   
  
"What's wrong, Mamo-chan?!!"  
  
PainElysionPainPainColdUnicornElysion  
  
CrystalElysionGoldenCrystalColdElysionGolden  
  
Crystal... Mamoru's mind was suddenly jammed   
  
beyond thought with flashes, images, random   
  
noises, sensations...  
  
Mamoru automatically shook his head. I'm  
  
alright, I'm fine. He vaguely heard what Usagi   
  
was saying, what the girls were speaking, for   
  
he was too caught up trying to ride through the   
  
pain and remain conscious.   
  
I must not collapse. Mamoru stubbornly   
  
thought to himself.  
  
He even tried when he found that he could not   
  
breathe anymore.  
  
"Mamo-chan!! Are you alright?!!"  
  
He was totally lost. In pain, cold, more   
  
pain, more cold. Lost.   
  
"I... I'm alright-- Usako..." Mamoru gasped.   
  
The seizure. The pain. The unicorn. The   
  
recognition. Elysion.  
  
"Can't.... breathe..." Mamoru weakly clutched   
  
Usagi's shoulders. He could not breathe, and could   
  
not even cry to release the agony. Before he knew   
  
it, his knees gave way and he collapsed limply to   
  
the ground, into total darkness.  
  
Mamoru Chiba could not keep the act up any   
  
longer.  
  
************************************************  
  
The cold wind blew through the area,   
  
serenading with the trees in a hollow rhapsody,   
  
playing through long and wavy brown locks of   
  
hair of a man. He grimaced as he noticed the   
  
nature of the wind. Occasionally he gazed at the   
  
roses, but they were not comforting at all-- not   
  
with the state they were all in.   
  
He tilted his head to face a man with silky   
  
white hair.  
  
"This is not good, Kunzite," Nephreite   
  
finally said, breaking the disturbingly silent   
  
atmosphere. He could sense Zoicite's and Jadeite's   
  
anxiety, and all waited for their leader's   
  
answer.  
  
Kunzite merely kept silent. His eyes gave  
  
the area a thorough sweep, afraid to misjudge   
  
the malice behind what he was seeing. He just   
  
could not believe his sight. But certainly four   
  
pairs of eyes could not make the same mistake.   
  
Not in something like this.   
  
Not in *this*.  
  
A deep sense of dread crept up to Kunzite   
  
as he looked around Elysion.   
  
Gone were the beautiful gardens with   
  
abundant red and white roses, and lush greenery.   
  
Gone was the comforting wind. Gone were the   
  
beautiful blue skies and white clouds, which   
  
used to mingle together seamlessly in a   
  
beautiful collage of blue and white. Gone were   
  
the beautiful rays of the sun and the silvery   
  
shine of the moon. What Kunzite's heart wanted   
  
to see again, his sight would not allow.   
  
Now, in place of those delicate flowers   
  
were ugly, hard and black roses. Blood red mixed   
  
with black to form the sky, and the wind was now   
  
like an angry spirit, never stopping its hollow   
  
and lonely howl. Since all this began, the Four   
  
Generals had yet to see any trails of light-- be   
  
it from the sun or the moon.   
  
As though hearing Kunzite's thoughts,   
  
Jadeite sighed, "The only light we have now is   
  
from the Temple."  
  
Immediately Kunzite glanced at the Temple   
  
of Elysion, the very heart of the place. It seemed   
  
to be the only thing not affected by this...   
  
curse.   
  
Kunzite shook his head violently. Why?!   
  
They had just discovered Her. Why in the name   
  
of the gods did this have to happen? It was a   
  
miracle they discovered themselves in Elysion.   
  
None of them were even aware of her existence. It   
  
angered Kunzite to see such beauty disintegrating in   
  
front of them. His memory flitted back to the   
  
time they came into Elysion. Zoicite had   
  
reasoned out that they were in the final phase   
  
of their spiritual existence, thus having much   
  
more ethereal contact with their birthplanet.   
  
Although he could remember their time in the   
  
Silver Millennium, Kunzite's memory of them   
  
coming into existence was at best, hazy.   
  
But what Kunzite knew was that *this* was   
  
Endymion's birthplace. Endymion. The Crown   
  
Prince of Earth. The only one. Nephreite was   
  
right in expressing his fear. Kunzite felt it   
  
too.   
  
"Endymion-sama must know of this," Kunzite   
  
finally said. He could feel the rest of the   
  
generals staring at him, countless of questions   
  
grazing their minds.  
  
"We can't go to him unless he calls for   
  
us," Jadeite bristled. "And you do know that our   
  
powers are diminishing, so, should we want to   
  
reach him, we must decide when. Wisely," the   
  
blonde general decided to emphasise on the last   
  
word.  
  
"But Kunzite's right. We can't stall the   
  
inevitable forever. Our powers may be limited,   
  
but so is our time here with Endymion," Nephreite   
  
spoke.  
  
The white-haired general nodded silently   
  
as he acknowledged his friends' thoughts. This   
  
could never happen at a worse time-- they were   
  
all clinging to their stones that were their   
  
namesakes by a thread. But like Metal, which was   
  
his element, Kunzite was extremely stubborn.  
  
"We still have our duty. We must ensure   
  
that Endymion rises to be king," he persevered.  
  
The three other generals slowly nodded as   
  
they looked on at the man who had guarded Endymion   
  
since the prince was just a child, who guided and   
  
befriended the prince with well-concealed love,  
  
but undisguised loyalty. Zoicite looked into   
  
Kunzite's eyes, and tried to give a reassuring   
  
expression. They were all like brothers, and   
  
deeply regretted not being able to live with their   
  
prince like the senshis were doing with the princess.   
  
On restless nights they could feel the fear   
  
and turmoil in the prince, further adding to their   
  
guilt of submitting themselves to Beryl's command.   
  
Zoicite winced at the memory, and he knew   
  
Kunzite would never forgive himself for leading   
  
them to that mistake. Hence, it was no wonder   
  
that Kunzite was the most intense of them all in   
  
his quest to protect Endymion. Zoicite could feel   
  
it-- the loyalty Kunzite swore again to their   
  
master, after Beryl and Metallia were defeated  
  
by the prince and princess. Again, a flare of   
  
guilt flashed in Zoicite.  
  
But what could they do? Lately it was   
  
insanely difficult to connect with Endymion, and   
  
as much as they wanted to give support and   
  
guidance to their master, they just could not.   
  
Somehow their stones were not responding to   
  
Endymion's calls as automatically as they used   
  
to. Adding to the hurt Endymion felt, their   
  
conversation with him had to be kept extremely   
  
short.   
  
What was more, only Kunzite had enough power   
  
left in him to converse with their master. The   
  
rest could only be treated with the sight of   
  
their maturing prince. Zoicite inwardly sighed.   
  
They all had a protective instinct over the prince,   
  
though it was with respect and not because they  
  
condescended to guard him. It was brotherhood.   
  
To be unable to guide Endymion through a time   
  
like this was not what they had planned. He   
  
inwardly smiled as he remembered how the prince   
  
hated people fussing over him. No, the prince   
  
would not like it if he knew just how protective   
  
the Four Generals felt towards him. Now that their   
  
powers and time were at a compromise, Zoicite had   
  
to refrain from seeking the prince every time they   
  
encountered something fearful which could undermine   
  
the prince's future.   
  
Zoicite had to trust the faith Kunzite seemed   
  
to put into Endymion's strength. But he knew what   
  
Kunzite feared.   
  
Endymion's fate might end up to be the same   
  
as Elysion's.  
  
As though the devil heard his thoughts,   
  
Zoicite's head shot up as he sensed Endymion  
  
giving out a terrified soul-cry. Kunzite and the  
  
others gasped as they felt it too-- so clear and  
  
distinct, it was unmistakable.  
  
The Four Generals' worst nightmare had come   
  
true.  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
~26th December 2000~  
  
Author's Notes:   
  
Ah.... Hope you gained some faint sense of   
  
satisfaction through this instalment. I'll  
  
try to improve my writing style. Thank you  
  
for being so patient with me!  
  
The Four Generals are a group which I have a  
  
soft spot for, especially when they communicate  
  
with Mamoru, or appear to look at him when he's  
  
unaware of them. The idea of them staying in   
  
their stones to stay with Endymion is among the   
  
main elements that made me start this story.  
  
Watch out for more of this theme in the future  
  
chapters!  
  
I also think that Mamoru isn't someone who likes  
  
to be seen as weak, or vulnerable. Despite the  
  
pain that he experiences, he appears to have only   
  
one priority, and that is Usagi's wellbeing. I   
  
think this is especially evident in the Golden   
  
Crystal saga of the manga sigh. Sorry  
  
Mamo-chan, I'm not going to stop the angst...  
  
Please understand that I'm a very die-hard fan of   
  
yours. So don't misunderstand *naughty grin*!   
  
Now, the honour roll:  
  
Tiffany, you're a gem! Destiny Rose, hope you   
  
enjoyed a white Christmas! Goddess Moon, thanks  
  
a bunch for reminding me to write *toothy grin*.  
  
Evee, how's life? Christine, best wishes to you!   
  
Andrea, Caleyndar, Lady Spring, Goddess Moon,   
  
Alicia Blade, Lady Starra and Nishi, you guys   
  
are wonderful webmistresses. I worship your   
  
diligence and creativity.   
  
Here are some authors who are _great_: Antigone,   
  
Lilac Summers, Chris Davies, Laura Hudson, Sidnei,   
  
Alicia Blade, Aimee and W. Bymeeh! Do read the   
  
fics that these people have written. They are   
  
so good. sigh I'll never even match up to   
  
half of their stature.  
  
Check out "MAMORU FANFICTION" at  
  
http://www.crosswinds.net/~mamolove  
  
for the reviews of the best Mamoru stories ever   
  
written!  
  
Lastly, PLLLLEEEEEAAAASSSEEEE write to me! I   
  
love to hear your opinions, and feel free to   
  
contact me if you want to enquire more deeply   
  
about certain aspects of this fanfic. I have been   
  
known to write back long, detailed discussions!   
  
Flames will be used to fully barbeque my   
  
lunch. *laughs*! WRITE TO ME!!! Make me know  
  
that _somebody_ noticed my story...   
  
Cheers to you, my dear reader,  
  
Mamolove  
  
david_duchovny@hotmail.com  
  
"MAMORU FANFICTION"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamorufanfiction  
  
Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko   
  
Takeuchi/Kodansha,   
  
TOEI Animation. English Language Adaptation (c)   
  
1995 DIC Entertainment. 


	5. Elysion

Enough of the teasers. Let the story unfold.....  
  
[Mamolove pops up from behind a rock] Enjoy!   
  
[Ducks to evade the dagger eyes thrown at her   
  
for releasing Chapter Four after two long   
  
months.]  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
*THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL*  
  
by Mamolove  
  
*Chapter 4*  
  
"Mamo-chan!" Usagi cried in alarm as   
  
Mamoru wavered forward and collapsed to the   
  
ground. She managed to spin around and catch him   
  
in mid-fall, but staggered backwards as she found   
  
herself suddenly supporting his full weight.  
  
"Usagi!" The others scrambled to help   
  
them.   
  
"Mamo-chan... What's wrong with him?!"   
  
Usagi shook Mamoru harder, but his head merely   
  
rolled towards her chest. Usagi's heart   
  
shrivelled. God, he's so pale..... Usagi   
  
thought in panic.   
  
Rei noted his softly parted lips and   
  
unmoving eyelids. Instinctively she reached out   
  
to touch his forehead.  
  
"He's freezing cold!" The fiery girl   
  
realised in shock.  
  
"Is he breathing?" This time Setsuna   
  
kneeled beside Mamoru's slack form. She had   
  
always regarded the younger man with respect. He   
  
was certainly not a weakling. To have him   
  
suddenly collapse like this.... Setsuna's sharp   
  
mind was already revolving around the reason why   
  
Mamoru was unconscious.   
  
Then she remembered the earthquake.   
  
Heavens, could it be?! Dread filled the dark-  
  
skinned senshi. Something was wrong with the   
  
planet. And Mamoru's getting the brunt of it.   
  
She closed her eyes in a frown as she   
  
strained to listen for his breathing. His pulse   
  
was rapid and weak, and Setsuna could sense that   
  
the man in front of her was barely able to draw   
  
in enough oxygen. One look at his pale face and   
  
nearly white lips and Setsuna knew they might   
  
lose him if they didn't do something fast.  
  
"Usagi, we have to bring Mamoru-kun to the   
  
hospital. Rei, use your power and give him some   
  
heat."  
  
Usagi's eyes widened in fear. She clutched   
  
Mamoru closely, as she struggled with her sheer  
  
terror. The older woman could see the desperation   
  
in Usagi's grip. Everyone knew how much the girl   
  
loved her soulmate. She looked softly at Usagi,   
  
silently comforting her.  
  
"Let's teleport him to the hospital," Ami   
  
urgently chimed in rapid fire. Everyone nodded   
  
hastily, and instantly, all of them reverted   
  
to their senshi forms and formed a circle   
  
around Usagi and Mamoru. Although every senshi   
  
focused her energy in the teleportation, none   
  
could stop thinking about the unknown cause of   
  
Mamoru's sudden collapse.   
  
"Mamo-chan, stay with me..." Usagi pleaded   
  
as she ran her fingers through Mamoru's limp   
  
bangs....  
  
************************************************  
  
The moment they had heard Endymion's   
  
terrified soul-cry, The Four Generals   
  
attempted with utter desperation in trying to   
  
break into the real world, to run to their   
  
prince's aid. But for the umpteenth time they   
  
had failed, and watched as Kunzite struggled to   
  
connect with their prince.  
  
"He needs you, Kunzite!" Zoicite clenched   
  
his fists in frustration. Yes, he was being   
  
inconsiderate, knowing full-well that the   
  
white-haired general was trying his best to   
  
reach Endymion. If there was a time when they   
  
should be in the real world, this was definitely   
  
it. But somehow, none of them could tap into   
  
their stones, which were conduits to Endymion.   
  
Certainly Kunzite could do it, couldn't he?   
  
He still had more power than they did! The   
  
slightly effeminate man turned around angrily,   
  
belatedly regretting that he had lost his   
  
temper.  
  
Jadeite gave Nephreite a look as they   
  
watched the exchange between Kunzite and   
  
Zoicite. It's understandable Nephreite sighed.   
  
Of all of them, Zoicite could connect and   
  
comfort Kunzite the most, yet he was also the   
  
one with the shortest fuse when it came to   
  
emergencies like this. Jadeite nodded-- Zoicite   
  
could be very vocal towards Kunzite at times. But the   
  
blond had to agree that he had felt no less   
  
frustrated.  
  
Here they were comfortably standing in   
  
Elysion, while their master was being terrorised   
  
with agonising pain. Kami-sama! Why such cruelty?!  
  
"I know that, Zoicite," Kunzite gritted   
  
his teeth, trying again as he dipped his   
  
consciousness in an effort to summon their   
  
spirit powers.   
  
"Something's blocking me-- GODS! This is   
  
_not_ happening!!" Kunzite snarled as his   
  
attempts ended in vain once again. He violently   
  
turned around, and began pacing wildly, not   
  
understanding the sudden block of access.   
  
The three other generals threw their hands   
  
up in frustration. Kunzite had been their last   
  
hope of reaching Endymion, but he had failed to   
  
get through. Didn't something just like this   
  
occur last year? When they couldn't feel   
  
Endymion's spirit anymore?? Fear snaked through   
  
the generals' minds. Endymion must be going   
  
through the same process Elysion was going   
  
through.  
  
A slow death.  
  
Suddenly, Kunzite whipped his head around.  
  
"Do you hear something?" He asked, eyes   
  
narrowing.  
  
Jadeite stood still and held his breath as   
  
he tried to pick up whatever Kunzite heard. At   
  
first, he heard nothing. The same cold wind, the   
  
same hollow melody. There was nothing different.  
  
Wait. Suddenly Jadeite's eyes widened.   
  
Wait. He heard it.   
  
The steadying breaths of Zoicite and   
  
Nephreite also indicated that they detected the   
  
same thing.....   
  
"Kami-sama, somebody's calling out to   
  
us...." Zoicite whispered. Jadeite glanced at   
  
Kunzite, whose eyes were widening in   
  
realization.....  
  
Come, into the temple....  
  
  
  
************************************************  
  
Deep into the massive crack where   
  
the first spider-like demon appeared, a cloaked,   
  
hunched figure made its way through the thick   
  
bushes which covered a frighteningly huge,   
  
monstrous circus tent. Spikes protruded out of   
  
this sick parody of a velodrome, looking sharp   
  
and deadly. The hunched figure continued its   
  
way, passing through the darkened gates,   
  
entering the arena, ignoring the overwhelming   
  
emptiness of the bleachers and lack of colourful   
  
lights usually found in normal circuses.   
  
  
  
It stopped at the foot of an a very high   
  
platform. Slowly, it spread out its arms, and   
  
began to float upwards to the top of the   
  
platform. With a grace which overshadowed the   
  
rickety way it walked, the hunched figure   
  
fluidly landed, and continued its journey.  
  
It finally stopped in front of a mirror.  
  
If there was anything Zirconia wished he   
  
could do, it was to stop his hands from   
  
trembling. He had to stay calm. It would not   
  
help if the queen saw him like this. Her wrath   
  
would merely grow a tenfold. As though his   
  
darkest fear heard him, a voice snaked through   
  
the mirror, flashing menacingly.  
  
"Your weakling failed, Zirconia." The   
  
voice hissed.  
  
The hunched figure responded, albeit   
  
shakily, "Queen Nephrenilia, it nearly got her.   
  
It was so close."  
  
"Only to be destroyed." The menace in the   
  
voice was unmistakable. Zirconia shivered.  
  
"Forgive me, my queen! Please, I beg you!   
  
I will deliver her to you, as you wished,"   
  
Zirconia pleaded, his eyes looking straight into   
  
the mirror.  
  
On the other side of the glass,   
  
Nephrenilia's lips curved into an evil smile. It   
  
was amusing to see how much her servant feared   
  
her. Her cat-like eyes glistened in the dark.   
  
Her plan was blooming, even though Zirconia was   
  
oblivious to it. He could merely accelerate the   
  
inevitable, but the queen knew she was close to   
  
a checkmate after having Elysion subdued with her   
  
curse.  
  
Ahh.... Elysion subdued... It was the   
  
only thing which prevented Nephrenilia from   
  
entering this planet; the only obstacle in her   
  
path of conquering the life and dreams harboured   
  
by the near six billion population. After so   
  
many years of waiting, she had finally garnered   
  
enough black magic to put Elysion under her   
  
potent curse, capturing the unicorn Helios in   
  
the process. With Elysion under her curse, she   
  
was free to penetrate Earth's defences and begin   
  
her plan. After all these years of waiting....  
  
After that witch queen of the Moon Kingdom   
  
had locked her within this mirror, a thousand years   
  
ago, she had been imbued with revenge, so strong  
  
it sustained her throughout the years.  
  
Queen Serenity.   
  
Nephrenilia's eyes narrowed into slits.   
  
She felt repulsed by the mere thought of that   
  
silver-haired woman. Nephrenilia should have   
  
been the owner of the Silver Crystal. It should   
  
have been hers, all these years... Afterall, she   
  
was more cunning, more sly, more beautiful.   
  
She was all that Serenity never was....  
  
Nephrenilia looked around her. A thousand   
  
years in this dreamscape. One thousand, lonely   
  
years. Oh, she had had plenty of time to plan   
  
her revenge, to acquire whatever knowledge of   
  
dark power there ever was, and to visualize with   
  
bloody detail how the Moon Kingdom clan would   
  
breathe their last breath.  
  
All she had to do was wait patiently,   
  
like a predator silently observing a doomed   
  
prey. At first, she harboured some slight   
  
apprehension at the discovery that the Silver   
  
Millennium clan had been reincarnated into this era.   
  
But later, as she developed her devilish   
  
plan, Nephrenilia realized that she could kill   
  
two birds with one stone. Not only could she   
  
imbibe the life-power and dreams in this blue   
  
planet, she could seize the Imperium Silver   
  
Crystal. She shivered in delight at the prospect   
  
of yielding such immense and tremendous power.   
  
Conquering such a thriving planet, with so much   
  
energy bursting out of every human being   
  
regardless of race and creed, and becoming the   
  
yielder of that crystal, which could annihilate   
  
a whole galaxy in a blink of an eye. It thrilled   
  
the woman with long, black locks beyond   
  
comprehension.  
  
Nephrenilia whetted her lips. She could   
  
nearly taste it. Absolute power. And she   
  
already had a side plan on reclaiming the   
  
Silver Crystal from that reincarnated daughter   
  
of Serenity.  
  
Yes, and she _will_ suffer....   
  
Nephrenilia's lips curved into an evil smile.  
  
Realizing that her servant had gone down   
  
to his knees in fear, Nephrenilia spoke, "I am   
  
not one who can be toyed with, Zirconia." She   
  
left her threat hanging for a few more moments,   
  
enjoying the cheap thrill of humbling that old   
  
fool. Finally, she said, "Do. Not. Fail. Me.   
  
Again."  
  
Zirconia bowed to the ground, and nodded.   
  
Nephrenilia had more interesting things in mind   
  
though.   
  
"Leave." And with that, she waved   
  
Zirconia and their connection through the mirror   
  
away. Nephrenilia stood up from her throne, and   
  
walked to a cage. It shone with an elegant   
  
warmth, light mysteriously emitting from its   
  
alternate gold and silver bars. Simple, but   
  
beautifully cruel for the fact that it had such   
  
a pure prisoner within it. They were in stark   
  
blackness, as though everything, including   
  
Nephrenilia herself, floated in a warped version   
  
of a black hole. Peering into the cage, she   
  
purred at the unconscious unicorn.  
  
"I've got you now, Helios. And nothing--   
  
not you, not even Elysion, can stop me from   
  
conquering your planet....."  
  
************************************************  
  
The generals quickly ran towards the   
  
deserted temple, chills running down their spine   
  
in dread and anticipation. Although they were   
  
very disturbed by the calling, they knew there   
  
was really nothing to lose.  
  
They were, after all, dead.  
  
Nephreite, being the one who first reached   
  
the steps leading to the temple's chamber,   
  
slowed down to a halt and looked questioningly   
  
at Kunzite. From their positions, they could not   
  
see anything inside, as the light was too   
  
bright. The silence was terribly disturbing, and   
  
the generals felt a wave of fear as they looked   
  
at the entrance before them. Before this, they   
  
could never even enter the temple, but the call   
  
was getting stronger and stronger, pulling the   
  
threads of their souls....   
  
  
  
Would they be able to enter?  
  
  
  
To save Endymion?  
  
To be allowed access into.....  
  
The very heart   
  
of   
  
Elysion?  
  
  
  
"Let's go in....." The general quietly   
  
said, putting forward a hesitant step   
  
into the pure white light. Kunzite inwardly   
  
gasped-- for the first time, nothing propelled   
  
him away. Slowly, he took more steps, walking   
  
into pure white light. Behind Kunzite, Jadeite,   
  
Zoicite and Nephreite followed suit, totally   
  
walking blindly, simply allowing their instincts   
  
to bring them to the voice calling for them. For   
  
a long time they walked into the deeper chambers   
  
of the temple, bathed in cleansing light, slowly   
  
sensing the warmth and magic of the place. It   
  
felt so familiar, as though they were   
  
returning....  
  
Home.  
  
Finally, they sensed the light dimming to   
  
a bearable level, and when they opened their   
  
eyes, they were met with the most soul-shocking   
  
sight they had ever seen in their existence....  
  
It was _beautiful_.   
  
Rendered speechless, the generals found   
  
themselves standing in the most wonderful,   
  
amazing hall ever built in the existence of   
  
mankind. It was not because of any luxurious   
  
decorations, but because of its stark   
  
simplicity. So simple, yet so beautiful.....  
  
Kunzite had never remembered hearing about   
  
this hall. Myths and legends had speculated on   
  
the origins of their prince, but the only thing   
  
which they were certain of was that he came from   
  
a beautiful place called Elysion. This was   
  
something which nobody had ever predicted.   
  
Clear, undecorated grandeur.  
  
Clear crystals which reflected the light   
  
in dazzling spectrums, some which were more than   
  
ten feet high, they were simply the most   
  
unbelievable things he had ever seen. The floor   
  
their leather boots touched were shining white   
  
marble, and Kunzite noted that the patterns   
  
within them were _very_ old. So big was this   
  
'hall' that there was even a garden within it,   
  
the true element which made this hall so   
  
amazing. There were no other ornaments, no other   
  
colour, other than the greenery and amazing red   
  
provided by the garden. The ceiling of the hall   
  
was in the shape of a dome, with what looked   
  
like tree branches supporting the weight of the   
  
massive structure. The sounds of rushing water   
  
could be heard, Kunzite realizing that it came   
  
from the stream which began from a pristine   
  
water spring in the garden and flowed past them,   
  
towards the outer grounds surrounding the   
  
temple. They had seen the stream from the   
  
outside, totally marred, murky waters which had   
  
no spirit or life in it. But here, Gods, it was   
  
so clear and abundant. And the roses. Kunzite   
  
couldn't help but feel grateful that they   
  
remained unsoiled and untouched. It was as   
  
though this garden within the temple had been   
  
totally unaffected by the curse befalling   
  
Elysion!  
  
Kunzite reluctantly pulled his eyes away   
  
from marvelling at the beauty they found   
  
themselves in, and searched for the source of   
  
the voice which had called them here. At the end   
  
of the hall he saw wide marble steps leading to   
  
a structure which looked like a shrine at its   
  
apex. Before Kunzite knew it, he was already   
  
walking towards the beckoning embrace of the   
  
shrine. The others followed him, and as they   
  
came closer to the foot of the shrine, they   
  
could feel their auras flaring up, sensing as   
  
though....  
  
Someone was waiting for them at the top of   
  
those marble steps.   
  
Kunzite gave a look at his comrades.   
  
Let's do it All of them mentally agreed. With   
  
a deep breath, they began climbing the steps,   
  
each stride raising their anticipation and   
  
anxiety by a tenfold.   
  
Finally, they reached the top of the dais.  
  
There they stood before two of the highest   
  
crystals in the temple, and Kunzite reeled back   
  
in horror as he realized that there were two   
  
bodies encased in those crystals. Zoicite held   
  
Kunzite by the shoulder, steadying him, as   
  
Jadeite gaped at the sight before them.   
  
"Dear Gods.... Are those women in the   
  
crystals?!" The blond gasped. What was this   
  
place? A shrine, or a tomb?! Jadeite had studied   
  
into the history of Earth, but never before had   
  
he seen humans enshrined within hard, solid   
  
crystals. As his mind reeled in shock, his eyes   
  
caught something.  
  
Between the two tall crystals, hovered a   
  
queer ball of light. It glowed brilliantly, and   
  
Jadeite could feel something pulling the threads   
  
of his soul. There was something to this place.   
  
He just could not put his finger to it.  
  
"Look...." Jadeite whispered, pointing   
  
towards the ball of light. He could sense his   
  
bonded friends' eyes widening in awe as well.   
  
Suddenly, they jumped in startlement when   
  
the voice they had heard flowed through the   
  
shrine. It came from the ball of light between   
  
the crystals.  
  
The Four Generals. Finally you have   
  
arrived.  
  
************************************************  
  
The scent of heavy medication and   
  
antiseptic greeted Usagi as she stepped into one   
  
of the many observation rooms located on the   
  
third floor of Keio Medical Centre. Her heart   
  
was beating like a trip hammer and for the   
  
briefest moment, she hesitated in opening the door.   
  
She was afraid. Afraid to finally see the   
  
results of the incident which had so suddenly   
  
snatched her beloved away from her. To finally   
  
get a visual perspective, after all that the   
  
doctor had explained to her.  
  
Her body nearly sagged in physical pain as   
  
she got her first peek of Mamoru since they   
  
brought him to the ER two hours ago. The blonde   
  
prayed as she rushed to her man's bedside.  
  
Mamo-chan...   
  
She bit her lip as she saw him. There was   
  
an oxygen tube attached to his nose, and Usagi   
  
could hear soft, steady beeps coming from a   
  
nearby monitor, keeping check on his heart beat.   
  
There were also tubes into his hands and some   
  
wires could be seen beneath his hospital gown.   
  
He looked so weak and pale, lying unconscious on   
  
the hospital bed. So vulnerable.  
  
A hand softly rested on her right   
  
shoulder. Usagi had cleanly forgotten that Rei   
  
had stayed on with her. No words were   
  
interchanged between them-- Rei's quiet presence   
  
was all she needed.  
  
"Mamo-chan, can you hear me?" Usagi   
  
whispered after settling down in a chair beside   
  
Mamoru's hospital bed. The railings on that side   
  
were down, enabling her to lean closer to his   
  
body. Her face was barely an inch away from   
  
Mamoru's, and she searched it for any signs   
  
of reply.   
  
Usagi brought her hand to Mamoru's   
  
forehead, and began to stroke his silky momiage,   
  
watching in rapt attention to the rise and fall   
  
of his chest, and hearing the soft, small sighs   
  
he gave each time he exhaled. She bit her lip as  
  
she heard the wheeze of oxygen travelling through   
  
the tube in his nose.   
  
"Hey, upperclassman...." Usagi tried to   
  
sound light. Only hums and beeps replied her.  
  
Beside Usagi, Rei grimaced. She knew Usagi   
  
needed support, hence her accompanying Usagi   
  
while the rest went to help the earthquake   
  
victims. But currently Rei was doubting herself   
  
of being capable to be strong for her best   
  
friend-- she was equally shaken to her core when   
  
she had her first glimpse of Mamoru just a   
  
moment ago. Her heart ached tremendously seeing   
  
him like this. He was nearly as white as the   
  
sheets. His expression was weak and fatigued;   
  
his lips, softly parted. Although Ami's mother   
  
had assured them that he was out of harm's way   
  
for the time being, Rei was simply not used to   
  
look at Mamoru like this-- dead to the world.   
  
While Usagi tenderly stroked Mamoru's   
  
hair, Rei retreated to a chair in the   
  
corner of the room, recalling the emergency   
  
teleportation they made once Mamoru had fainted.   
  
Nothing they did seemed to help, and she could   
  
only give some warmth to his heat-deprived body   
  
as they prepared to teleport. Even Setsuna   
  
looked shaken as she constantly touched Mamoru's  
  
neck to feel his pulse.   
  
So distressed was the green-haired senshi   
  
that she nearly shouted for the attention of   
  
the ER doctors to look at him once they had   
  
arrived outside the hospital and detransformed.  
  
It was a miracle that despite the sudden   
  
influx of patients due to the earthquake, Ami   
  
was able to get her mother to treat Mamoru once   
  
the ER doctors had stabilized him. Rei winced   
  
inwardly at the strength the ER nurse showed in   
  
pushing Usagi out of the ER. It took the   
  
strongest nurse to tear her away from her   
  
lover's side. Not to mention eight other   
  
senshis.  
  
"I'll be here if you need me, Usagi-chan,"   
  
Rei softly called out to her friend, knowing   
  
that the privacy she was giving to Usagi would   
  
be much appreciated.  
  
Usagi turned her head and nodded to the   
  
raven-haired girl. Returning her attention to   
  
her unconscious lover, she curled her fingers   
  
around his. No response. And he was cold. Still.  
  
Usagi gently brought the sheets higher up till   
  
it covered his chest and arms.   
  
"Ami's mom will make sure that you get   
  
better." Usagi whispered. "Come on, Mamo-chan.   
  
Wake up."   
  
Usagi paused, not knowing of what to say.   
  
"Please don't scare me?" she pleaded.  
  
Still no reply. Usagi quickly used her   
  
fingers to wipe away a tear drop which escaped   
  
her eyes. She bit her lips to suppress   
  
herself from crying, her eyes beginning to sting as she   
  
saw her boyfriend in such a weakened state.   
  
Rei would surely chastise her for being a   
  
cry-baby, a seventeen year old one for that   
  
matter.   
  
But how could Usagi stop herself?   
  
Mamoru was her strength.   
  
After all their harrowing encounters,   
  
Usagi was more than fearful of losing him. He   
  
absolutely had no fear of killing himself if it   
  
meant saving her. As though his life was of no   
  
value compared to hers. And it always hurt   
  
Usagi to see him in pain. To see him so willing   
  
to die. For her.  
  
In a way, it made her more resilient and   
  
turned her into a stronger fighter, primarily to   
  
avoid Mamoru from risking his life. It helped   
  
her tremendously throughout the past years since   
  
she became Sailor Moon, especially the trying   
  
months of fighting Galaxia, stupidly unaware   
  
that Mamoru had actually died having his   
  
starseed taken away from him....   
  
He had died, and nobody knew. He had died,   
  
without her holding him. Without her even   
  
feeling it.   
  
He had died _alone_.   
  
Usagi choked as guilt overwhelmed her. She   
  
had never really gotten over the agony of   
  
discovering that Galaxia had so ruthlessly   
  
stolen her lover's starseed. And what   
  
accentuated Usagi's pain was the painful fact   
  
that despite their soul link, he had died   
  
without her knowing. To her, she had failed to   
  
protect him when he needed her most.   
  
But the most amazing thing was,   
  
despite how stupid she had been, how clumsy and   
  
frivolous she naturally was, Mamoru still   
  
wanted her, hovering faithfully by her   
  
side no matter how many beautiful, intelligent   
  
and good-hearted women desired him. He wanted   
  
her, and only her, together with all her   
  
idiosyncrasies. He had accepted her for who she   
  
was, told her that he loved her for the pure   
  
angel she was. He had looked at her with his  
  
blue eyes and smiled, telling her that he was   
  
hers.  
  
Always.  
  
Usagi closed her eyes, feeling the tears   
  
sting her eyes. God, she loved this man so much.  
  
Usagi reached for Mamoru's hand again--  
  
feeling their soft texture, tracing the length   
  
of those elegant long fingers, and best of all,   
  
recapturing his touch. Usagi knew there was more   
  
to it than just the contact of his grip. Each   
  
time she had felt like floating towards oblivion   
  
whenever she fought evil, he would pull   
  
her back to him, holding her tight and sure,   
  
sending torrents of energy through her.  
  
Bringing the pure love and confidence he   
  
had harboured for her.   
  
How Mamoru was able to transmit such   
  
intangible, wonderful things to Usagi was still   
  
a mystery. The senshis had reasoned it as part   
  
of his abilities in psychometry. Usagi had   
  
come to cherish it as part of Mamoru's very   
  
essence.  
  
Usagi sighed, and tenderly caressed   
  
Mamoru's curled fingers which were gently resting   
  
in her palm.  
  
She leaned in and whispered into her   
  
lover's ear.  
  
"Mamo-chan, I'm right here...."   
  
She held his bangs away, and placed a   
  
gentle kiss on his forehead. Again, she stared   
  
at his pallor, and heartbreakingly hoped for his   
  
eyelids to suddenly flutter open and reveal   
  
those gorgeous blue eyes again. She should have   
  
stayed with him after what had happened in the   
  
stadium. Should have....  
  
Usagi sagged, and nestled her head  
  
beside Mamoru's arm, her fingers tenderly   
  
curling around his. She closed her eyes in   
  
exhaustion and allowed the bed sheets to absorb   
  
her tears.   
  
************************************************  
  
"Where are you...."  
  
Sailor Mercury frowned in concentration as   
  
she strained her senses to locate yet another of   
  
the many broken pipes within the wrecked grounds   
  
of Juuban. Around her a group of engineers and   
  
emergency volunteers stood muted, watching the   
  
Senshi of Ice trace the broken points of Tokyo's   
  
water system. They all knew how important water   
  
was in the wake of an earthquake. The citizens   
  
needed it, and it could not be absent if they   
  
wanted to prevent Tokyo from burning into ashes.  
  
The soft-spoken lass opened her eyes   
  
suddenly as she pinpointed ten broken points in   
  
the water system. Without a word, she whipped   
  
around, traced and circled several locations on   
  
the map, and started running. The group pitched   
  
forward in excitement as they realised that the   
  
young girl had detected more broken pipes.  
  
I hope the rest are doing well too...   
  
Sailor Mercury thought to herself while running.   
  
This was not effective as she desired, though.   
  
She could only bring a single team to a single   
  
break point, one by one. But the intelligent   
  
senshi nevertheless knew how to handle the   
  
difficulties. She would focus sharply on faraway   
  
break points and detect exactly where they were,   
  
and point them out in the map. That way other   
  
teams nearer to the locations would be able to   
  
fix the damage. The faster they detected the   
  
water break-points, the easier it was to arrest   
  
the fire. Besides, the main worry was whether   
  
the reservoirs had sustained damage, but awhile   
  
ago Sailor Mercury had overheard that they   
  
miraculously escaped harm.  
  
She sighed inwardly. The earthquake was   
  
not as bad as the Kobe Earthquake. Thank the   
  
heavens for that. Thank God, Thank _God_ for   
  
that. But somehow, their Juuban district seemed   
  
to have fared rather badly compared to the rest   
  
of Tokyo. Sailor Mercury had read enough to know   
  
that the after-effects of earthquakes were more   
  
dangerous than the tremors. The most direct   
  
threat was the conflagaration-- fire outbreaks   
  
due to broken gas lines, or collapsed electrical   
  
wirings. Further complicated by a broken water   
  
system, and you'll get chaos which could last   
  
for months on ends.   
  
After a short reunion outside at the   
  
hospital, the senshis had immediately agreed on   
  
leaving Usagi with Rei to be with Mamoru while   
  
they rushed to help the earthquake emergency   
  
volunteers. Sailor Mercury accepted the role of   
  
locating broken water points, while Sailor   
  
Neptune and Sailor Uranus dashed to settle the   
  
spread of fire across Juuban. Jupiter and Venus   
  
rushed to clear off fallen debris which blocked   
  
transportation and help save pinned-down victims   
  
who were unwittingly trapped in the rubble while   
  
Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn aided paramedics   
  
in saving wounded citizens. It was the most that   
  
they could do for now. Sailor Mercury knew that   
  
they would need to investigate the queer eclipse   
  
which occurred yesterday, and try to discover the   
  
cause for Mamoru's seizures.  
  
  
  
"Here it is!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed.   
  
They had reached the nearest broken point.  
  
"You did it again! How could we have done   
  
this without you?" A senior engineer gratefully   
  
bowed to her.  
  
"Please!" The girl tried to stop him from   
  
bowing. "Everyone wants to help..."  
  
  
  
"Hai. How could we possibly have done this   
  
without you and your comrades..." The senior man   
  
insisted again.  
  
A sweatdrop appeared beside Sailor   
  
Mercury's head, but she nodded and smiled   
  
anyway. And with that, she started to trace for   
  
more broken points. But as demanding her task   
  
was, Sailor Mercury could not help but feel   
  
distracted-- what happened to Mamoru-san? At   
  
least he was safe in the hospital with Usagi,   
  
under the observation of her mother. For now,   
  
the senshis would have to do without Usagi and   
  
Rei and help the earthquake victims with their   
  
powers.  
  
"This is going to be a long day...."  
  
************************************************  
  
The Four Generals. Finally, you have   
  
arrived.  
  
Endymion's generals gasped in shock.  
  
Kunzite. Jadeite. Nephreite. Zoicite.  
  
What was going on? The generals' mind were   
  
whirling in confusion. Who was speaking to them,   
  
from that glow of energy between the crystals?  
  
"We heard your call," Kunzite cautiously   
  
said.   
  
The time is coming. The battle which   
  
will determine this planet's fate.  
  
"What battle?" Kunzite asked.  
  
The First Revelation....  
  
Kunzite stopped himself from asking what   
  
the voice meant. He was more concerned for other   
  
matters.  
  
"What has happened to our master,   
  
Endymion?" Kunzite braced himself.  
  
When they didn't receive any reply, they   
  
nearly panicked, thinking that the voice had   
  
been lost, and that they would still be left in   
  
the dark. But slowly, the ball of light   
  
expanded, and like a flickering mirror, showed   
  
the image of their prince in a hospital bed,   
  
with the princess sleeping beside him.  
  
Without a thought Kunzite lunged towards   
  
the image.  
  
"Is he alright?" Nephreite softly said,   
  
eyeing Kunzite as the white-haired general   
  
hovered protectively in front of the image of   
  
Endymion's unconscious form.  
  
There is a reason to everything,   
  
including Endymion's condition. And soon, it   
  
will be time for you to serve him again....  
  
The generals looked up, their expressions   
  
serious. "We know that.... That's why we haven't   
  
left our stones," Kunzite sadly said, his voice   
  
barely a whisper. The sheer will of correcting   
  
their horribly grave mistake regarding Beryl burned   
  
through all of them. They missed Endymion terribly.   
  
They would not betray him ever again.  
  
"Give us power, so that we may reach him,"   
  
Kunzite resolutely pleaded, the strategist   
  
within him reappearing.  
  
The light flickered, as though considering   
  
Kunzite's request, before resolutely saying,   
  
No.... Not yet. Power will come to you,   
  
but not for this. He will need you in the near   
  
future. That is when you should use every shred   
  
of unique strength each of you possess.  
  
"But he was in pain!" Kunzite argued. "We   
  
felt him! What in the name of the heavens is   
  
happening to him?!"  
  
Elysion is under a curse. The world   
  
would have been in worse condition had it not   
  
been for something Endymion did. The voice   
  
cryptically said.  
  
"... What do you mean?" Jadeite quietly   
  
interjected.  
  
You will understand it in time, child.   
  
But for now, your place is here, until the time   
  
comes for you to fight again by his side. He   
  
will need all of you then.  
  
"Can we go to him? At least, to tell him   
  
of the danger Elysion is in?"  
  
That is not necessary. Helios will see   
  
him.  
  
Kunzite's mind went blank as he heard the   
  
name. Could it be....  
  
Yes, Kunzite. Helios exists.  
  
"Who is Helios, Kunzite?" All eyes turned   
  
to Kunzite.  
  
"Helios..... Is the..." Kunzite glanced at   
  
the crystals, slowly piecing together the   
  
puzzle...   
  
"Priest of Elysion."  
  
"The Priest of Elysion...." Jadeite   
  
mouthed. He looked again at the ball of light in   
  
front of them. It had a very strong aura to it,   
  
stronger than any living being on the land. With   
  
consternation, the blonde general reverently   
  
asked.  
  
"Then.... who are you?" They looked at the   
  
light before them.  
  
Silence pervaded the whole temple as they   
  
waited for the answer with bated breath. When   
  
they heard it, they instinctively fell to   
  
their knees in reverence, instinctively knew   
  
that it was the truth, for they could _feel_   
  
Her, for the first time in their existence which   
  
had spanned a thousand years.  
  
"I am Earth Mother."  
  
************************************************  
  
Sailor Neptune unleashed a tidal wave of   
  
crystal clear water, battling the flames   
  
ravaging an old office-building. When she and   
  
Sailor Uranus arrived at the scene, the fire had   
  
begun to spread to the neighbouring buildings,   
  
like an enraged firegod.   
  
As though the fire marshals knew exactly   
  
what she could do, they had almost reverently   
  
stepped back from their efforts and allowed the   
  
calm senshi to summon her power. Many had heard   
  
of the Sailor Senshis, but few had actually seen   
  
them unleash their powers with their own eyes.   
  
An aura of turqoise-blue emanated from the   
  
stoic senshi called Sailor Neptune. She closed   
  
her eyes as she let her power fill up her being,   
  
her hair slightly rising with the energy. And   
  
raw power was unleashed, with grace and beauty.  
  
"AQUA DEEP SUBMERGE!!!"  
  
Citizens, fire marshals, reporters, and   
  
volunteers, could not help but gasp in awe at   
  
the way Sailor Neptune created a tidal wave out   
  
of nowhere. And effective it was, for the great   
  
fire was mercilessly extinguished, surrendering   
  
to the onslaught of water and sizzling down into   
  
fog and steam before fully dying down. However,   
  
before most of the crowd could regain their   
  
speech and heated exclamations, the two   
  
mysterious senshis had vanished.  
  
"How many more, Sailor Neptune?" Sailor   
  
Uranus asked as they bolted down the crowded and   
  
congested roads.  
  
"Not many, fortunately." Neptune flicked a   
  
strand of hair away from her eyes. "But we have   
  
to hurry. The conflagaration could spread if the   
  
wind picks up speed." Neptune gave a knowing   
  
glance to her partner.  
  
Uranus grimaced inwardly. Wind was   
  
certainly not welcomed at this point. Her own   
  
power-- however wonderful and elating it felt,   
  
yet how dangerous and unwanted it was at this   
  
moment. Uranus would have to strain every branch   
  
of her powers and try to manipulate the   
  
windspeed to stop the fires from spreading.   
  
How timely it was that the youma they   
  
blasted this morning appeared right after the   
  
earthquake. Did the eclipse have anything to do   
  
with that demon? Sailor Uranus began thinking   
  
rapidly. Something was definitely wrong   
  
with that eclipse for sure. Why else would they   
  
experience the violation into their dimension,   
  
or even regain their planet powers? Setsuna had  
  
mentioned the First Revelation. Could this be   
  
it? The first step towards building Crystal   
  
Tokyo?? What was to be revealed in the first   
  
place?! The boyish senshi clenched her fists.   
  
They had better find out who their enemy was   
  
this time before things got worse.   
  
So much had happened, in such a short time   
  
span.  
  
Throughout the day, they settled more   
  
conflagarations. Slowly, the air in Juuban   
  
cooled down as the fires were successfully   
  
doused. It was night by the time they doused the   
  
numerous fires, and things were steadily on the   
  
mend, Juuban slowly recovering from the absolute   
  
terror that had raged in the morning.   
  
Finally, Neptune and Uranus decided   
  
that they could detransform. Tired, but   
  
satisfied, they contacted the rest of the   
  
senshis through their comlinks, and received   
  
similar responses of the situation improving.   
  
Setsuna and Hotaru had managed to heal hundreds   
  
besides assisting the scores of paramedics   
  
around the area. Minako and Makoto were still in   
  
their senshi forms, but insisted that they   
  
didn't need help from Haruka and Michiru. And   
  
Ami had succeeded in preventing any collapse in   
  
the water system, especially the dams and   
  
reservoirs.   
  
"That leaves Rei..."   
  
"And Usagi." Haruka finally let out, worry   
  
blanketing her heart. She loved that girl with   
  
all her heart-- such innocence and purity. Never   
  
yielding, always gentle and kind, endlessly   
  
adorable. Haruka had missed her dearly.  
  
"We'll go to her," Michiru squeezed   
  
Haruka's fingers. Haruka nodded impassively,   
  
too troubled and torn between her desires to   
  
comfort Usagi and the responsibility   
  
of being an Outer Senshi. She had always tried   
  
to maintain a distance from that Moon Princess,   
  
gladly accepting her fate of only looking at   
  
the girl from afar, but how terribly did she   
  
want to hold that child again, to have the   
  
confidence to tell her that all was right with   
  
the world. To tell her not to worry, that   
  
Mamoru would be alright.   
  
So embroiled was Haruka in her thoughts   
  
that she did not even notice that she was   
  
walking directly into a man with honey-blond   
  
hair. By the time her brain registered what her   
  
downcasted eyes saw, it was too late and she   
  
crashed into the equally busy man who had his   
  
back to her. He instinctively spread out his   
  
hands to stop his face from kissing the pavement.  
  
"Sor--- Sorry," Haruka gruffly said, too   
  
embarrassed to say more.  
  
"Ah... It's nothing." The man stood up and   
  
brushed the dirt off his apron. "Everyone's   
  
really bothered by the earthquake anyway," the   
  
man answered, bending down to pick up the broom   
  
he was holding before he had fallen. "Thank   
  
goodness nobody around here got hurt. Just some   
  
broken cups and plates in my restaurant," he   
  
gestured to the shop-lot they were in front of.  
  
Haruka pursed her lips and nodded in   
  
agreement. Now that she was facing the man, she   
  
couldn't help but feel as though she had seen   
  
his face before.....  
  
"Aren't you Mamoru's friend?" Haruka   
  
suddenly asked.  
  
Haruka was sure she could see the   
  
startlement in the man's eyes.  
  
"Hai...." He nodded, a soft smile grazing   
  
his lips.  
  
This time the answer caught Michiru's   
  
attention. She went closer to the young man who   
  
was speaking to Haruka.  
  
"You know him too?" The man asked, lifting   
  
his eyebrows. His initial surprise dissipated as   
  
he saw the serious expressions the two strangers   
  
carried. Suddenly, dread filled him.   
  
Somehow Haruka just felt the need to tell   
  
this man. Blame it on her sixth sense.  
  
"He passed out after this morning's   
  
earthquake. He's in the hospital now." Haruka   
  
said point-blank.   
  
If there was an indicator that could show   
  
how well this person knew Mamoru, this blond   
  
would be it. Haruka and Michiru could actually   
  
see the blood instantly draining from his face,   
  
his eyes widening in horror and shock, and his   
  
knuckles going stark white as he gripped his   
  
broom for support.  
  
"We're on our way to the hospital... You   
  
can come with us if you want to," Michiru gently   
  
said. This man looked as though he was about to   
  
pass out any moment. It took awhile later for   
  
Michiru to realise that this was the owner of   
  
the cafe she and Haruka frequented when they   
  
were students in Muugen High two years ago.  
  
"I-- I need to---" Motoki Furuhata   
  
stuttered, frantically untying his apron. So   
  
shocked was he that he couldn't even steady his   
  
shaking hands.  
  
"...Unazuki!!!" He ran into his cafe. From   
  
outside Haruka and Michiru could see a teenage   
  
redhead popping out from behind the counter,   
  
suddenly concerned with her brother's cry. She   
  
cupped her mouth in shock as he exchanged a few   
  
words with her. She nodded vigorously and said a   
  
few more words as the blond man shoved his apron   
  
and broom to her and hurried out to Haruka and   
  
Michiru.  
  
"Where..." Motoki gasped.  
  
"Keio Medical Centre."  
  
Haruka and Michiru did not need anyone to   
  
tell them how desperate this man was to go to   
  
the mentioned hospital. Haruka inwardly cursed   
  
for the unavailability of her Ferrari.  
  
As though she heard Haruka's thoughts,   
  
Michiru said, "It's just a few blocks away.   
  
Let's go now."  
  
Motoki had already begun moving to the   
  
hospital's direction. Haruka and Michiru   
  
accompanied him, and together they allowed the   
  
man to take the lead as he finally bolted ahead   
  
of them, leaving behind a small gust of wind.  
  
************************************************  
  
Soft footsteps padded through the silent   
  
corridors outside Mamoru's room. Usagi raised   
  
her head as she heard the hasty footsteps cease   
  
to a halt right outside the room. As Rei and   
  
Usagi turned their heads around to see who it   
  
was, the door opened-- revealing Motoki with   
  
Haruka and Michiru behind him. The jade-eyed man   
  
paused by the door, slightly staggering   
  
backwards as he had his first glimpse of his   
  
unconscious friend lying in the bed.  
  
Haruka and Michiru entered the room and   
  
greeted the two girls inside. Haruka nodded to   
  
Usagi, silently understanding the distress she   
  
was undergoing. The short-haired blonde looked   
  
questioningly at Rei.  
  
He hasn't regained consciousness yet.   
  
The look Rei returned was obvious.  
  
"What .... happened?" Motoki gasped. He   
  
slowly walked towards the hospital bed, his   
  
heart shrivelling with aching pity as he saw his   
  
best friend. No... It can't be. This is not   
  
happening! Motoki thought wildly.  
  
"Not again...." Motoki hoarsely whispered.  
  
Immediately it caught everyone's   
  
attention. Usagi tilted her head towards Motoki,   
  
wondering what he had just said.   
  
"What do you mean, Motoki-onnichan?" She   
  
looked at him with shocked eyes.  
  
Motoki repeatedly shook his head. He could   
  
not believe it. It was just like ....   
  
Eight   
  
  
  
years   
  
ago.   
  
"Let's talk about this outside...." Rei   
  
gently suggested. Everyone nodded and hastily   
  
exited the room. Motoki leaned against the wall   
  
as the girls surrounded him. Silence blanketed   
  
them, as though Fate did not wish for anything   
  
to interfere what they were about to hear from   
  
the man. The tension was that thick.  
  
"Motoki-onnichan, what happened?" Usagi   
  
begged.  
  
Motoki stared into the pleading blue   
  
irises, and released a shuddering breath.  
  
"I... can't believe it's happening again,"   
  
Motoki whispered to himself. "Mamoru like this.   
  
It-- It happened before in school, when we were   
  
thirtee-- Well *I* was thirteen, he was twelve   
  
since he skipped a grade," Motoki began quietly.  
  
"You both were in the same class?" Michiru   
  
gently asked.  
  
"...Hai. It was January.... January 17th.  
  
Mamoru was fine in class, but during recess...."   
  
Motoki rubbed his eyes.  
  
Usagi braced herself.  
  
"It started out like usual. We ran to a   
  
shaded spot in the school yard--" Motoki laughed   
  
curtly to himself, "I was eager to know what my   
  
mother had packed for me, while he was hungry   
  
for whatever he had packed himself."  
  
"But after a few minutes, he sort of zoned   
  
out. He just wasn't there with me anymore..."   
  
Motoki broke off into silence.  
  
"What do you mean 'he sort of zoned out'?"   
  
This time it was Rei, her voice suddenly   
  
breaking the blanket of muteness in the   
  
corridors.  
  
Motoki closed his eyes, furrowed eyebrows   
  
etching out the concentration he carried. "He...   
  
He wasn't talking or looking at me anymore. It   
  
was as though he saw something else at that   
  
moment. A minute or two passed before I started   
  
getting worried."  
  
"Did you see anything, Motoki-san?" Rei  
  
asked.  
  
"I..." Motoki trailed away, afraid to   
  
reveal the secret he and Mamoru had been keeping   
  
for all these years.  
  
Michiru's eyes narrowed. This man was   
  
hiding something. "You saw something, didn't   
  
you?" she confronted him.  
  
"I don't know what I saw then..."   
  
Motoki glanced at Usagi, and suddenly felt   
  
the urge to tell her, no matter what the   
  
consequences.  
  
"What is it that you saw, Motoki-san?"   
  
Michiru asked, this time her voice gentler.  
  
Motoki pursed his lips, and took in a deep   
  
breath. "I saw... Mamoru..." He finally let   
  
out a shuddering breath.   
  
  
  
"_Glowing_ with golden light."   
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: GOMEN NASAII!!!!   
  
I'm sorry for keeping all of you waiting. You   
  
guys are so sweet to even be reading this far.   
  
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much for your   
  
generous support, criticism and attention. I was   
  
hanging in the limbo with this chapter, because   
  
a lot of the things in it had to be thought out   
  
in detail, as it will have great implications in   
  
the outcome of this whole Mamoru epic. Also, I   
  
was entangled with a lot of technicality   
  
research, but I'm saving them for Chapter 5,   
  
since Chapter 4 *sweatdrop*, _is_ rather   
  
long (Hope you didn't find it too tedious to   
  
read.....) Please forgive me.   
  
And for those who wrote to me with good wishes   
  
for my exam results, I just have to hug you   
  
guys. You are so sweet. I received my national   
  
exam results, and I got 11 A1s!! Now, I'm praying  
  
fervently to receive the medical scholarship I'm   
  
applying for. Anyway, this is just to tell all   
  
of you who have wished me good luck in my exam   
  
results, namely Andreia, Rose and Tiff (err...   
  
you guys know this already, but I'm making it   
  
public! *big hug*). I also hope to give hope to   
  
other helpless anime-obsessed fans, that you   
  
_can_ achieve good results by persevering and   
  
planning your study strategy. Just be moderate   
  
in the the time you spend with your mangas,   
  
anime, web-surfing, fandom such as fanart and   
  
fanfic, and drooling-over-handsome-anime-guys!   
  
Most of all, PRAY.   
  
Huge hugs go out to other kind people such as   
  
Pandora Waldron, Sexylyon, Jennifer Wand,   
  
Antigone, Sidnei, Sami, and also the   
  
_resourceful_ Goddess Moon (I really adore the   
  
header image you made for me, girl. Hope this   
  
chapter gave a satisfying fic-fix for you.).   
  
Thanks to Peach Blossoms for encouraging me to  
  
release this chapter ASAP *grin*. And to all  
  
of you who have visited my Mamoru websites!  
  
WE LOVE MAMORU!   
  
I will work hard to write the best I can!  
  
Love,  
  
Mamolove  
  
david_duchovny@hotmail.com  
  
"MAMORU FANFICTION"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamorufanfiction  
  
"My Love: MAMORU CHIBA"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamoruchiba  
  
Date started: Around 10 February 2001  
  
Date completed: 15 April 2001 


	6. Motoki's Experience

*THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL*  
  
by Mamolove  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
*********  
  
"WHAT?!" Usagi's head went blank as everyone   
  
else hissed in unison.  
  
"I saw it. Gomene..... For not telling you,"   
  
Motoki apologised earnestly, his eyes looking up  
  
to Usagi.  
  
"I had a feeling something was amiss when he   
  
zoned out on me. It was completely unlike him to  
  
ignore me like the way he did that day."   
  
That morning Mamoru had suddenly grimaced.   
  
Motoki could have sworn he saw pain on that   
  
young face -- He especially had grown concerned   
  
when Mamoru started breathing shakily, his hands   
  
trembling as he brought them to his temples.  
  
  
  
Moments later Mamoru gasped with a   
  
start. Blue eyes opened and darted around   
  
frantically. He sprang to his feet, and dashed   
  
away, leaving Motoki behind.   
  
"He didn't look back, and he didn't give me a   
  
chance to catch up with him."   
  
"In fact.." Motoki started to slow down in   
  
realisation, "...He didn't even seem to notice that  
  
a thunderstorm had suddenly begun."   
  
Motoki remembered flinching in startlement as   
  
a bright bolt of lightning flashed across the dark   
  
sky, a piercing thunderclap booming nearly   
  
instantly. Without warning rain began pouring   
  
down onto the both of them, threatening to enter   
  
Motoki's eyes had he not squeezed them shut   
  
periodically to push the droplets out. He had  
  
shivered involuntarily as cold droplets of water  
  
fell through his shirt's collar and flowed down  
  
the skin of his body.  
  
"Finally, he halted. I was lagging behind   
  
when I saw him slowly falling to his knees."  
  
Jade eyes looked shakily towards Usagi and   
  
Rei. "At that moment, he didn't look like a   
  
child.... At all," Motoki whispered, his voice   
  
trembling at the last two words. The blue eyes he   
  
thought he had knew was blank. Haunted.   
  
Yes, yes, Motoki could remember clearly-- It   
  
was the *eyes* and the dark manner in which Mamoru   
  
had stared at the ground that scared Motoki that   
  
day.   
  
"I was a few feet away, when that..."   
  
Motoki flicked his wrist in agigation as he   
  
struggled to find the right words. "... that   
  
golden light burst out from his body!"   
  
  
  
The hairs on his back had risen, much to   
  
Motoki's consternation. //Even now it has that   
  
effect on you...// he thought grimly to himself. He   
  
had been frightened witless when it happened,   
  
screaming non-stop in pure shock. So shocking   
  
that the little blond boy thought he was about to  
  
go insane.   
  
Motoki continued describing to the girls,   
  
how in stark fear he had watched rays of golden   
  
light simply shooting out of Mamoru's body, before   
  
they slowly simmered down Mamoru's whole body and   
  
encasing him in jaw-dropping glory. Against the   
  
black sky of the storm, the intense light made   
  
the kneeling form of Mamoru the most magical,   
  
regal creature Motoki could ever imagine seeing.   
  
The pelting rain was almost non-existent on   
  
Mamoru.  
  
"Usagi...." Rei turned in shock as she   
  
heard Motoki's account. Usagi stared wide-eyed, in   
  
a gamut of emotions ranging from shock to fearful  
  
awe.  
  
Haruka narrowed her eyes as Motoki's clear  
  
description continued. She could practically see  
  
it happening in her head. Her heart beat uneasily--  
  
as plausible as it sounded, with regards of the   
  
magical nature of their powers, this was Mamoru  
  
Motoki was talking about. Not one of them had  
  
even thought of Mamoru behaving so strangely.   
  
What was more, at such a young age. It disturbed  
  
Haruka.  
  
  
  
"After a few long moments I ran to help   
  
him, but as I neared him something threw me   
  
off my feet. I was flung a few feet back!"   
  
"You were thrown, into the air?!" Haruka   
  
asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.   
  
"By what?"  
  
"I don't know..." Motoki ran a shaky hand   
  
through his bangs. "There was nothing between   
  
us-- It was as though.... Some invisible force   
  
field...."  
  
"...Wanted to prevent you from reaching   
  
him." Michiru said grimly.  
  
"Hai. I still don't understand what happened,  
  
and neither did he want to talk about it." Motoki  
  
shook his head regretfully.  
  
He took in a deep breath, shifting his   
  
weight a little after realising how stiff his body   
  
was with the tension.   
  
"The repulsion was so rough that it really  
  
knocked the wind out of me."  
  
Silence ensued as Motoki stopped. Usagi felt  
  
as though her heart had turned into lead. It was  
  
dreadful and so amazing at the same time that   
  
she could hardly believe it. Yet just like Haruka,   
  
all these disturbed her that she was sure she could   
  
find no peace until Mamoru explained to her what   
  
had actually transpired.  
  
"Motoki-onnichan, do you realise that what   
  
you saw was unbelievably, completely...   
  
*incredible*??" Usagi said slowly, staring at him  
  
in shock.   
  
"Yes." Motoki nodded meekly. He looked up   
  
to them darkly.  
  
"But that's not the end of the story."  
  
***************************************************  
  
//Why was I not invited to visit this   
  
princess of yours?//  
  
(If you wish to join us in peace, it shall be  
  
my pleasure to welcome you, Nephrenilia. But   
  
if it's with dark intent that you enter this   
  
place, I shall not tolerate your presence!)  
  
//It's amusing that you could say that. Why,   
  
Serenity, are we not the same beings?//   
  
Nephrenelia slowly opened her eyes. Her   
  
aura had flared up considerably upon recalling her   
  
last conversation with the Queen of The Moon   
  
Kingdom.   
  
//...We were both from the same Milky Way,   
  
conceived at the same time. Have you   
  
forgotten -- When there is light, there is  
  
always darkness. That's what you and I   
  
are. We.... Are one, Serenity.//  
  
"When there is light, there is also   
  
darkness...." Nephrenilia muttered quietly to   
  
herself. Now it was just Darkness, since Serenity   
  
had passed on. Finally she stood up from her   
  
throne, knowing that it was time for her to carry   
  
out her plan. She strode into the isolated halls of   
  
her prison palace.   
  
//Inseparable.// She had thought they were.   
  
With Serenity gone now, Nephrenilia  
  
was truly, completely, alone.  
  
"Astraniva...." she whispered a name of a   
  
powerstream, chanting a powerful spell. She found   
  
herself summoning her Powers-- this time for a   
  
different task. Her black locks of hair rose in   
  
response to the aura she eminated, a waft of icy   
  
wind twirling them. White blue flames danced about   
  
above her as they casted shadows over her pale   
  
face. Her lips moved faster and faster as the spell   
  
progressed, her arms slowly extending to the air as   
  
she reached the last part of the spell.   
  
At that moment, a large sphere of glass   
  
slowly materialised above her. It resembled the   
  
beautiful blue planet she had just trespassed.   
  
Beautiful and wonderful, with a brilliant ball of   
  
light glowing inside of it.   
  
Her voice rose in power as she began another   
  
spell, her dark magic growing in control. "Reveal   
  
yourselves to me," Nephrenilia commanded.   
  
  
  
Suddenly the sound of wind came howling   
  
through, bringing voices of every person, young and   
  
old, in them. The ball of light grew within   
  
the sphere of glass, spinning and radiating as it   
  
reflected the life of the planet. Finally,   
  
billions of slim shards of glass-- mirrors,   
  
appeared around that glass globe. As Nephrenilia peered   
  
into the smaller shards, images of the people's thoughts   
  
and dreams reflected back at her.  
  
She smiled. //Fear not, people... I shall   
  
make your darkest, innermost fears come true.//   
  
She shouted a dark magical command, and   
  
fluidly she made a sweeping action with her hands,   
  
willing her Powers to do as she commanded-- to   
  
harvest the unsuspecting people's nightmares and   
  
deepest fears. To amplify them into literal   
  
reality.   
  
Nephrenilia licked her lips. Those with weak   
  
self-control would become her unwitting minions,   
  
causing anarchy. Those with stronger hearts would   
  
last slightly longer. But in the end, everybody,   
  
minions or not, would be snared by her spell, dead   
  
to the world yet feeding her with constant energy   
  
as they writhed in their respective nightmares.   
  
"Time to sow my seeds of hell...." She said   
  
in detachment. It was not the gratification she   
  
sought, despite knowing that this would break   
  
Serenity's heart had she been alive to witness it.   
  
It was just something to be done, in order to free   
  
herself from this prison that she was locked in.   
  
A splintering sound suddenly caught   
  
Nephrenilia's attention. She turned to look at the   
  
floating glass sphere. There was now a long, jagged   
  
crack to it. She smiled sardonically.   
  
Everything was commencing as she planned.  
  
************************************************  
  
Up in the living world, shadows followed   
  
people wherever they went, snaking insiduosly as   
  
the living nightmare began. In a subway station, on   
  
the waiting platform, a man burst into a mad   
  
frenzy, yelling as he attacked another who was   
  
blocking his path. What followed was a fight which   
  
aggravated four other people, and without warning a   
  
violent and savage attack ensued. Onlookers,   
  
shocked at first, began cheering on as   
  
Nephrenilia's spell took effect.   
  
...As the nightmare began.   
  
Blinding headlights of a speeding train   
  
finally came across the tunnel. To everybody's   
  
horror, a young schoolboy barely twelve was pushed   
  
to the edge as the brawl came his direction, and   
  
tumbled off the platform towards the train tracks.   
  
Women screamed as they saw the child falling;   
  
and everybody simply watched in horror as the  
  
train rammed into the boy even before he hit  
  
the tracks.   
  
Screams of grief. But nobody knew....  
  
It was a spell. A horrid, dreadful one. As   
  
people around the world suffered in similar   
  
fashion, the trapped Queen of the Dead Moon Circus   
  
simply nodded with satisfaction, growing more   
  
powerful with the waves of anguish and terror.  
  
************************************************  
  
Motoki closed his eyes in fear as he recalled   
  
the terror that unfolded a few moments later that fateful  
  
17th January.   
  
He had watched in helplessness. Despite the  
  
burst of light out of his body, Mamoru remained  
  
rooted to the ground. It came to his notice, of   
  
Mamoru reaching for the earth. However, upon   
  
touching it the boy had sharply withdrew his hands   
  
as though they were jolted by electricity. A moment   
  
later little Mamoru shook his head violently and   
  
plunged his hands into the soil.   
  
The golden light which encased Mamoru   
  
instantly flared brighter, nearly blinding   
  
Motoki to a point where he could not see Mamoru   
  
clearly.   
  
For many a moment Motoki had forgotten his   
  
fear and stared in amazement, but later he began   
  
hearing Mamoru moan, and Motoki was suddenly   
  
afraid. So afraid -- That something had gone   
  
dreadfully wrong.   
  
The sandy-haired youth had tried really hard   
  
to see what was happening, but it hurt to even   
  
look.   
  
A few tense seconds passed. Somehow, by   
  
shielding his eyes with his arm, Motoki managed to   
  
catch glimpses of Mamoru. To his sickening horror  
  
he saw Mamoru starting to frantically pull his   
  
hands away from the ground-- with all his might.   
  
Motoki yelled in vain as Mamoru twisted and turn,   
  
throwing his whole weight away from the ground in   
  
an effort to free himself. It was as though   
  
something in the ground was stubbornly holding   
  
on to Mamoru's embedded hands.   
  
"He kept pulling and yanking...." Motoki's   
  
words quickened in pace.  
  
And with each attempt, Motoki told the girls,   
  
the blue-eyed boy had grown more desperate, more   
  
frantic, till his sobs could be heard.  
  
The senshis inwardly gasped with shock.   
  
"Suddenly the light vanished. At that moment   
  
Mamoru freed himself, tumbling backwards."  
  
The moment that had happened, Motoki was   
  
suddenly able to dash to Mamoru's side. He would   
  
never forget the look on his best friend's face   
  
that day-- pallid with shock that he was nearly as   
  
white as his school shirt. The blue eyes were wide   
  
open, till all the white of the eyes above the   
  
irises were showing. It pained Motoki's heart   
  
to see Mamoru so frightened. Motoki could see wet   
  
rivulets of rainwater clearly glistening all over   
  
his best friend's face, but it could well have been   
  
tear tracks instead, judging from the sobs Motoki   
  
could hear earlier. Mamoru's breaths hitched loudly   
  
in his chest and as Motoki cradled his friend in   
  
his arms in pure relief of seeing him still alive,   
  
he could feel Mamoru's whole body shaking  
  
uncontrollaby.   
  
"He was cold as ice," Motoki remarked, his   
  
eyes closing in painful recall. He didn't tell the   
  
girls how brittle and fragile holding Mamoru felt,   
  
with the boy slumped in his arms as though every   
  
shred of energy was torn from his small body.   
  
//Shimata.... I was so scared.// Motoki let out a   
  
shuddering breath.  
  
"I was busy trying to talk to him when I   
  
noticed that he was trying to say something. He   
  
kept saying it, but his voice was hardly audible. I   
  
kept quiet, trying to hear him speak." Motoki had   
  
then brought his ear close to Mamoru's face.   
  
"Then finally, I heard him say 'Elysion'."  
  
  
  
"Elysion...." The senshis quietly repeated,   
  
glancing at one another. Usagi breathed in sharply.   
  
Finally she understood why it was Motoki, of all   
  
people, who could decipher what Mamoru had said in   
  
the stadium two days ago.  
  
The man knew, because he had heard it before.  
  
***************************************************  
  
Was he dreaming?  
  
The ground Mamoru found himself standing on   
  
suddenly shook violently, and screams of terror   
  
shot through the air. Buildings began crashing   
  
down, blocks of stone crushing hundreds of people   
  
like helpless insects. Blood splattered everywhere,   
  
dismembered limbs showing themselves under the   
  
rocks and gravel.  
  
Mamoru whirled around in shock and confusion.  
  
Complete chaos. Nearby someone shrieked and   
  
pointed to the sky. In consternation Mamoru   
  
looked up, and faltered a step as he saw the   
  
sky turn dark red, with black-grey clouds coming   
  
into form.   
  
For the life of him, he could not remember   
  
what had happened; how he had gotten there. His   
  
heart thumped frantically as the ground beneath him   
  
shook mightily. A strong wind howled in rage,   
  
sending a premonition to Mamoru which made him   
  
freeze.  
  
//Dear God..... So I wasn't mistaken...//  
  
The Earth was hurting. Somehow he knew,  
  
with terrible certainty. Natural disasters were   
  
occurring at a scale nobody had ever seen or were   
  
prepared for. Extreme weather had lashed out, and   
  
Earth's elements were completely out of control.   
  
Every balance in nature was hurtling out of   
  
equilibrium. Somehow he knew. And it broke his   
  
heart.   
  
Earth was crying.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Early the next morning, Setsuna Meioh strode   
  
into the living hall of the penthouse. The sun had   
  
not even risen yet, but as tired as she was from   
  
yesterday's rescue missions, the two hours of sleep   
  
that she had felt like eternity. She was so full of   
  
anxiety that she layed awake most of the time   
  
running everything through her mind. She took a   
  
seat in the darkness, quietly thinking.  
  
"So you're an early bird too, Setsuna-san?"   
  
Suddenly the lights came alive. Setsuna turned   
  
around and smiled tiredly at Ami.  
  
"Can't sleep with so many things running   
  
though my mind."  
  
"Me too.... But Setsuna-san..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What *is* happening?" Ami whispered. She   
  
quietly sat down beside Setsuna, resting her   
  
chin on her palms. Her face was clearly etched with   
  
concern.  
  
The two shared a long period of uneasy   
  
silence, as each tried to come up with their   
  
reasonings.  
  
"I believe.... This is the start of a series   
  
of events, Ami," Setsuna finally spoke. "...That   
  
may lead to the establishment of Crystal Tokyo."  
  
Upon hearing the last two words, Ami's head   
  
shot up. She gave Setsuna a confused look.  
  
"'The First Revelation'.... The Queen Mother   
  
herself had told me in a dream. What is to   
  
come...." Setsuna paused. "...Must first be   
  
initiated."  
  
"So you believe this thing we're facing....   
  
It's going to determine the future of this world?"   
  
Ami shakily asked. Setsuna nodded.   
  
"More accurately, Ami, it's the outcome of   
  
our battle with this enemy, that'll influence   
  
everything in the future. Something is going to   
  
happen out of this. I just can't help feeling some   
  
sense of dread though, not knowing what that   
  
something could be.... We don't even know who we're   
  
facing--"  
  
"Soon we will, Setsuna-san. Luna and Artemis   
  
are tracing the origins of the creature we battled   
  
yesterday."  
  
Ami pursed her lips. Her heart went out to   
  
Mamoru, whom she knew was directly affected by all   
  
this. Suddenly, a calling compelled her to pick up   
  
the television remote control. She switched it on,   
  
quickly selecting the news channel.  
  
"Kami-sama.... I can't believe what I'm   
  
seeing!" Ami whispered in shock. Setsuna frowned,   
  
leaning forward as they both watched the news.  
  
"Setsuna-san.... What's going on? I'll go   
  
wake the others!"   
  
Shortly, Minako, Makoto and Hotaru had rushed   
  
to join Setsuna and Ami. Mass anarchy was occuring,   
  
with sudden public fights and violent accidents.   
  
Social scientists were attributing it to high   
  
stress and mass hysteria.   
  
"But surely not in such a wide scale!" Minako   
  
had exclaimed. Setsuna nodded grimly.   
  
They continued watching throughout dawn, as   
  
news of chaos breaking out were coupled with   
  
accounts of sudden extreme weather.   
  
Already in China, massive earthquakes were   
  
suddenly occuring, and in Latin America, sudden   
  
terrifying floods. In India thousands of lives were   
  
lost in frightening mudslides which lasted for   
  
hours, in three different states. So great were the   
  
mudslides that they looked like gushes of water from   
  
overflowing rivers.  
  
"This cannot possibly be a coincidence,"   
  
Setsuna said coldly.  
  
Suddenly Ami's telecommunicator sounded. It   
  
was Luna, who was in the arcade with Artemis and   
  
all the super-computers and radars inherited from   
  
the Moon Kingdom. "I've got news..."  
  
"Luna, have you watched the news on   
  
television?"  
  
"Yes. And we know why."   
  
Ami quickly adjusted the telecommunicator so  
  
that everyone else could listen. "Our enemy's   
  
starting their attack," Luna began. "Artemis picked   
  
up a sudden surge of dark energy this morning....   
  
It's driving the people insane! And we believe it's   
  
making the people's individual fears and nightmares   
  
come true."  
  
"Do you know where this dark wave is coming   
  
from?" Makoto queried in anxiety.  
  
"Yes. And you girls are not going to like   
  
this....."  
  
Each girl braced themselves for Luna's   
  
information. When they received it, they   
  
collectively gasped in horror. Setsuna's blood   
  
turned cold instantly.  
  
"Minna-san, it's coming from Tokyo!"  
  
***************************************************  
  
As Nephrenilia paced around her chamber of   
  
mirrors, a wicked idea cropped up. She wanted to   
  
locate the little moon princess. She summoned her   
  
Lemures, little round sprites with red eyes.   
  
Hundreds appeared before her. Nephrenilia would   
  
have the joy of killing her prey slowly, perhaps   
  
even meeting her for a showdown before her end   
  
arrived.   
  
"Find the protector of this planet,"   
  
Nephrenilia said, the image of a golden-haired   
  
daughter of Serenity appearing in her mind.   
  
Without her realising it, Nephrenilia had   
  
made a mistake. For the true protector of Earth was   
  
actually Mamoru Chiba, not Usagi Tsukino. The   
  
lemures had taken Nephrenilia's word, and left in   
  
search of the Prince, with Nephrenilia oblivious   
  
of their target.  
  
Nearby an unconscious unicorn stirred.   
  
Earlier his spirit had shook with determination to   
  
seek the Prince. Even unconscious, he had power   
  
over his ethereal form, for he was Helios, Priest   
  
of Elysion. Little was Nephrenilia aware of this,   
  
but the supposedly defeated unicorn had channelled   
  
his power in damping the effect of the spell which  
  
she had casted over Earth.   
  
Now that the Lemures were going after the   
  
Princess.... He was sure that Endymion would be   
  
with her. All he had to do was connect with   
  
Endymion-sama in his dream, and he would be able to   
  
save them from the Lemures in the real world.  
  
Endymion-sama.... Let me find you!  
  
***************************************************  
  
Let me find you!  
  
In his dreamscape, Mamoru whirled around upon   
  
hearing the voice. He was a stranger to this   
  
particular voice-- it was none of his own dark   
  
thoughts, and neither did it belong to anybody he   
  
knew. Yet, despite not being able to put his finger   
  
to it, the voice sounded achingly familiar.   
  
Mamoru knew he had to get out of this   
  
dreamscape. He knew it was a dream, indeed he was   
  
all too familiar with dreams, but it was terribly   
  
hard to simply snap out of it. But his inner   
  
resolve had always been as strong as steel, and   
  
concentrating, Mamoru willed himself to wake up. At   
  
the same time, he cried out loudly in reply to the   
  
distant voice. I'm here!  
  
***************************************************  
  
I'm here!  
  
Helios nearly cried out to the Gods in joy,   
  
and began galloping towards his master in quick,   
  
powerful strides. He allowed his consciousness to   
  
blend with the life-force of Elysion, or what still  
  
remained in Her. Almost instantly, he saw the   
  
Prince in sharp detail. But at the same time, he   
  
could also sense that the lemures were closing in   
  
on the Prince. He had no time to lose.   
  
***************************************************  
  
Visiting hours had been over the night   
  
before, but being the stubborn girl she was, Usagi   
  
had insisted on remaining inside the hospital. She   
  
settled to rest in the waiting room. It was away   
  
from Mamoru, but at least she was in the same   
  
building as he was. Rei, Haruka, and Michiru   
  
had sent Motoki home to his family, trying to offer   
  
support to the distraught man. What he had seen,   
  
was unbelievable. It was totally mind-numbing to   
  
think that both Mamoru and Motoki had experienced   
  
such a phenomena, and had not dared to tell anybody   
  
else about it.  
  
When Rei, Haruka and Michiru returned, they   
  
had found Usagi slumped in one of the worn-out   
  
chairs, asleep. Silently they took their seats   
  
beside her, and tried to rest as well.  
  
A few troubled hours later Rei awoke, to find  
  
Haruka and Michiru talking softly.  
  
"You know.... All of us experienced some   
  
magical revelation before we decided to accept our   
  
Senshi powers," Michiru softly said. "Mamoru-san   
  
could have discovered his powers that day."  
  
"Discovered his own power the way Motoki  
  
described?" Haruka paused for several moments, a   
  
thoughtful look embracing her handsome features.   
  
"Possibly," Haruka finally said, smiling to   
  
Rei as she propped herself to join in. "I just   
  
don't understand why he hasn't told anybody   
  
about it."  
  
"I don't know *your* story, Haruka-san," Rei   
  
smiled wryly. She pursed her lips. "We don't tell   
  
everybody how we decided to accept our powers. It's   
  
really personal."  
  
"Yeah, sure, but at least--" Haruka   
  
responded, before trailing off mid-sentence.  
  
Michiru was looking at her.  
  
"Shimata. You're right," Haruka sighed in   
  
acknowledgement. She was about to say that   
  
at least Michiru knew how she had gotten her   
  
powers. As far as Haruka could observe, even Usagi   
  
was completely unaware of Mamoru's experience. Why   
  
the secrecy?   
  
"Mamoru-san may not have understood what had   
  
actually happened, Haruka." Michiru finally spoke.   
  
"Like Rei said, this is something very personal. We   
  
would like to think that he tells Usagi   
  
_everything_, but perhaps for some particular   
  
reasons, he isn't ready to share this experience   
  
with her."   
  
Rei nodded in agreement. "I know Mamoru-san.  
  
He's the type of person who would rather seek first   
  
an explanation, or an understanding of what is   
  
happening to him, before thinking of troubling   
  
people," Rei glanced at Usagi's sleeping form.   
  
"...Especially _her_, with speculations."   
  
Her thoughts went to the period when Mamoru   
  
had quietly suffered through the nightmares of   
  
seeing Usagi die. It pained Rei so much then,   
  
seeing how harshly he brushed innocent Usagi away.   
  
Everyone else was clearly angry at his behaviour,   
  
and they were not wrong in harbouring their silent   
  
hostility. But Rei had maintained her stand -- to   
  
the extent of confiding in Usagi, that they should   
  
trust Mamoru. That stand still remained even in   
  
light of the current circumstances.  
  
"Yes.... He isn't ready to share it with   
  
anyone of us yet." Michiru's voice was steady with   
  
confidence. Years before she had looked into   
  
Mamoru's heart with her mirror, and saw that his   
  
love for Usagi was true. For him to keep silent   
  
over this..... Michiru knew there had to be a   
  
strong reason behind it.   
  
Suddenly Usagi stirred, and opened her eyes.   
  
She looked around, seemingly startled.   
  
"Mamo-chan?" She rubbed her eyes, before   
  
finally smiling sheepishly to her friends. "Ohaiyo,   
  
minna-chan...."  
  
"Ohaiyo, Usagi-chan," Haruka playfully   
  
flipped the girl's bangs. "What's wrong?" she asked   
  
in concern.  
  
"I'm not sure...." Usagi's hands were   
  
suddenly clammy with cold sweat, and there was this   
  
irrational fear in her gut.   
  
"I think we should check on Mamo-chan,"   
  
Usagi finally decided, springing to her feet. They   
  
headed for the elevator nearby.   
  
The moment they had reached the level of   
  
the wards, Usagi walked out, her pace getting   
  
faster and faster. Haruka glanced at the windows   
  
and thought it truly strange that the sun hadn't   
  
rose yet-- it was already six in the morning. She   
  
could feel Michiru tensing up -- no nurses seen at   
  
all.   
  
//Oh God....// Haruka thought. //Usagi's   
  
right. Something is wrong.//  
  
Faster and faster Usagi walked. Then   
  
suddenly she broke into a run, and the rest   
  
followed suit, each having a horrible feeling that   
  
something bad was about to happen. When Usagi   
  
reached Mamoru's ward, she flung open the door.   
  
And screamed.  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Hello there, my dear readers! Hope you enjoyed this   
  
chapter. The next one is due to come out a week or   
  
two from the date this was published. Hold your   
  
seats as the story continues -- Motoki doesn't   
  
really know what happened on January 17....  
  
I also refuse to subscribe to the notion that   
  
Nephrenilia is a simple, wicked, cackling witch, as   
  
implied in the anime. Yes, she's evil, but wouldn't   
  
it be more interesting to see *why* she chose to be   
  
that way? By the way, I didn't make up the part   
  
where she thinks of Queen Serenity. It was taken   
  
from Manga Vol. 15.  
  
And I do hope that the interaction between Mamoru   
  
and Motoki will not be mistaken into something   
  
sexual. Now, don't think I don't know about shonen-  
  
ai or anime with homosexual themes. This is NOT   
  
yaoi/shonen-ai. Best friends do care for each   
  
other, especially in traumatic cases. Similarly,   
  
just because a best buddy of the same sex hugs you   
  
or is terribly concerned for you does not show that   
  
he is in love with you (in the literal, lovers,   
  
sense). If you're reading this out of hope of   
  
MamoruxMotoki, please, you're reading works of the   
  
wrong author.   
  
  
  
So... Nearly two years since Chapter 4. I do   
  
apologise, guys -- many of your mails were very   
  
encouraging. In fact, they inspired me every now   
  
and then to return to this fic, despite having   
  
different priorities in life. I do sincerely ask   
  
for forgiveness-- I know I've told some that I   
  
would release it somewhere between March-July, but   
  
at that time I was seriously more concerned with my   
  
trial exams and finals. Not having a computer in my   
  
apartment also killed the muse to a certain extent.   
  
I'm sorry *bows humbly*.  
  
I've gotten my scholarship to study medicine in   
  
United Kingdom (PRAISE GOD!), and for the past two   
  
years have been staying away from home, near my   
  
college. It's a very enriching experience-- apart   
  
from meeting new friends, I had to learn how to   
  
carry out chores I usually took for granted back at   
  
home, such as cooking meals *sweatdrop*, and doing   
  
the laundry-- by hand! I also had to learn to be   
  
strong mentally and emotionally, as being grouped   
  
together with brilliant, competitive students from   
  
around the country wasn't exactly a nice thing to   
  
experience (comparison creates bouts of inferiority   
  
and student-angst *melodramatic sobs*).   
  
But it was good, it was good. I've come to meet   
  
friends who are willing to accept me as the person   
  
I am, and not resort to petty boycotts or   
  
backstabbing whenever we have a disagreement. We   
  
helped build each other, and comforted (like giving   
  
food treats *grin*!) whenever any of us were   
  
feeling down. I love them for that, for it really   
  
helped banish my cynicism about tough love and   
  
friendship.  
  
Most importantly, I believe it was God moving in my   
  
life, that he brought me to the particular college   
  
I studied in. The Christian atmosphere there was   
  
really strong-- I was really fortunate to meet   
  
friends (some younger than me) who helped me build   
  
my spiritual relationship with God. I had really   
  
good, down-to-earth pastors who really cared for   
  
the students in my college. Yes, I have grown   
  
a little bit more since I first accepted Jesus   
  
Christ into my life three years ago, and I know he   
  
loves me, despite my shortcomings and weaknesses.   
  
He loves you too, my friends, have faith in that!   
  
If you're in trouble, confess _everything_ to Him,   
  
and ask for His direct intervention and guidance.   
  
He will help you, His way *smile*.   
  
To those of you who enjoyed reading this story, do   
  
drop an email or review it, kay? I'm not   
  
blackmailing like some authors do, but I would   
  
appreciate your feedback *glomps*! I'd love to hear   
  
from you.  
  
Take care everyone!!  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Mamolove  
  
david_duchovny@hotmail.com  
  
"MAMORU FANFICTION"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamorufanfiction  
  
"My Love: MAMORU CHIBA"  
  
http://devoted.to/mamoruchiba  
  
"~my page" (online journal of yours truly)  
  
http://mamolove.pitas.com  
  
Date started : Gee... Can't really remember.   
  
Right after Chapter 4, I guess!  
  
Date completed : 6 August 2003 


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